Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Humble?

\Hum"ble\, a. [Compar. {Humbler}; superl. {Humblest}.] [F., fr. L. humilis on the ground, low, fr. humus the earth, ground. See {Homage}, and cf. {Chameleon}, {Humiliate}.] 1. Near the ground; not high or lofty; not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming; as, a humble cottage. THy humble nest built on the ground. --Cowley. 2. Thinking lowly of one's self; claiming little for one's self; not proud, arrogant, or assuming; thinking one's self ill-deserving or unworthy, when judged by the demands of God; lowly; waek; modest. God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. --Jas. iv. 6. She should be humble who would please. --Prior. Without a humble imitation of the divine Author of our . . . religion we can never hope to be a happy nation. --Washington. {Humble plant} (Bot.), a species of sensitive plant, of the genus {Mimosa} ({M. sensitiva}). {To eat humble pie}, to endure mortification; to submit or apologize abjectly; to yield passively to insult or humilitation; -- a phrase derived from a pie made of the entrails or humbles of a deer, which was formerly served to servants and retainers at a hunting feast. See {Humbles}. --Halliwell. --Thackeray.
\Hum"ble\, a. Hornless. See {Hummel}. [Scot.]
\Hum"ble\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Humbled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Humbling}.] 1. To bring low; to reduce the power, independence, or exaltation of; to lower; to abase; to humilate. Here, take this purse, thou whom the heaven's plagues Have humbled to all strokes. --Shak. The genius which humbled six marshals of France. --Macaulay. 2. To make humble or lowly in mind; to abase the pride or arrogance of; to reduce the self-sufficiently of; to make meek and submissive; -- often used rexlexively. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you. --1 Pet. v. 6. Syn: To abase; lower; depress; humiliate; mortify; disgrace; degrade.