Meaning & use
humility
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Meanings
noununcountableapproving
The quality of not thinking you are better or more important than other people, even when you have done well.
Grammar: Uncountable: she showed great humility, not a humility.
Patterns
- with humility
- have the humility to do something
The champion accepted the award with humility.
It takes humility to admit you were wrong.
Despite his fame, he kept a remarkable humility.
noununcountable
An honest awareness of your own limits, mistakes or weakness in the face of something larger.
Grammar: Often followed by before or in the face of: humility before nature.
Patterns
- humility before something
- humility in the face of something
Standing beneath the huge cliffs filled her with humility.
Scientists approach the unknown with humility.
The failure taught him humility.
noununcountableliterary
A low position or rank in society, or the state of being humble in status.
Grammar: Rare; used for low social standing, not personality.
Patterns
- humility of birth
He rose from humility to leadership.
The story praises the humility of the farmer's life.
She never forgot her humility of origin.
Common combinations
- show humility
- A good leader shows humility when things go wrong.
- false humility
- Her talk of luck was just false humility.
- quiet humility
- He accepted praise with quiet humility.
- humility and grace
- She lost with humility and grace.
- learn humility
- The long climb taught them humility.
Synonyms and how they differ
- modesty
- Modesty is about not boasting of achievements, but humility goes deeper to a low view of your own importance.
- meekness
- Meekness suggests gentle, submissive behavior and can sound weak, which humility does not.
- unpretentiousness
- Unpretentiousness describes a lack of show or pride in style, rather than an attitude of mind.
- self-effacement
- Self-effacement is the act of keeping yourself in the background, while humility is the inner attitude.
Opposites
Word family
- humble adjective
- not proud or arrogant
- humbly adverb
- in a modest, unassuming way
- humble verb
- to make someone feel less proud
- humbleness noun
- the state of being humble
Commonly confused: humility or humiliation?
humility vs humiliation
Humiliation is the painful embarrassment of being made to look foolish, while humility is a calm, modest attitude you choose.
Practice
The athlete spoke with ___ about her win, thanking her coaches and teammates.
Choose one answer.
Humility means modesty, which fits thanking others. Humiliation looks similar but means public embarrassment.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “humility”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.