ENGLISH
REFERENCE

humbled

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈhəmbəɫd// UK //hˈʌmbəld// hum·bled

adj. feeling less proud or important because of something that happened. You often feel this way when you receive a great honor or realize you have made a mistake.

adj. feeling or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance. Often used predicatively to describe a state of mind following a significant achievement or a profound realization of one's limitations.


SIMPLE

I feel humbled by your kind words.

CONTEXTUAL

The champion athlete said she felt humbled to receive such a prestigious award from her childhood hero.

COMPLEX

Standing before the vast expanse of the Grand Canyon, the travelers felt humbled by the sheer scale of the natural world compared to their own brief lives.

Synonyms
Usage

Participial adjective; typically follows linking verbs like 'feel', 'be', or 'remain'.

Pitfall

He was humble by the newsHe was humbled by the newsLearners often use the base adjective 'humble' when they should use the participial form 'humbled' to describe the result of an event.

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