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humbly

UK/ˈhʌmbli/US/ˈhʌmbli/
adverbB2Common in everyday speech and writing · #6,172 of 15,258leans spoken

Humbly means in a modest way that claims nothing for yourself. Accepting praise without taking credit.

It attaches to accepting, suggesting and apologising, and I humbly suggest is the standard phrase, which is usually a polite way of introducing an idea you are quite sure about. Formal letters used to end with an extravagantly humble formula. The word can be a little theatrical, since drawing attention to your own humility undercuts it. Humbly is also used of origins, as in humbly born, meaning from a poor family.

Definitions of humbly

  1. 1adverbhumblyIn a modest way, without claiming importance.B2

    “He accepted the award very humbly.”

Where it comes from

  1. Middle English

    humbely

  2. English, today

    humbly

From Middle English humbely, humbliche. by surface analysis, humble + -ly. ēaþmōdlīċe.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

humbly in the wild

  • Sportacus humbly describes himself as a "slightly above-average hero", though his friends have a higher opinion of him, calling him a "superhero".

    Sportacus

  • Now crowds to Founder Bocaj did resort And for his Favour humbly made their Court.

    1708 in poetry

  • May we prove ourselves worthy of such a country, such a Government and such a God, we humbly ask in the name of Thy blessed Son, our Savior.

    John Hunt Morgan Memorial

  • But I humbly venture to assert that there are between this composition and Op. 2 two years and twenty works.

    Rondo in C minor (Chopin)

  • Juan Pablo Montoya was humbly given a second-place finish by being.869 seconds slower than Hamlin.

    2009 Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

  • humble
  • humility