ENGLISH
REFERENCE

humbling

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈhəmbəɫɪŋ// UK //hˈʌmblɪŋ// hum·bling

adj. making you feel less proud or important because you realize you are not as great as you thought. It often happens when you see something very impressive or when you make a mistake.

adj. causing a loss of pride or self-importance; leading to a realization of one's own limitations or relative insignificance. Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'be' or 'feel'.


SIMPLE

Winning the award was a truly humbling experience.

CONTEXTUAL

Standing at the foot of the massive mountain was humbling, making the hikers feel very small.

COMPLEX

The veteran athlete found it humbling to be outpaced by a teenager, acknowledging that his physical dominance was finally beginning to wane after a decade at the top.

Synonyms
Usage

Often functions as a participial adjective following 'be', 'feel', or 'find it'.

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