humbling

Verb (1)

humble (third-person singular simple present humbles, present participle humbling, simple past and past participle humbled)

1. (ambitransitive) To defeat or reduce the power, independence, or pride of.
   • Here, take this purse, thou whom the heaven's plagues have humbled to all strokes.c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...

   Synonyms:

   abase, degrade, depress, disgrace, humiliate, lower, mortify, abash, bring low, confuse

2. (often, reflexive, transitive) To make humble or lowly; to make less proud or arrogant; to make meek and submissive.
   • And you say you've been humbled in love / Cut down in your love / Forced to kneel in the mud next to me1979 September 27, Leonard Cohen, “Humbled in Love”, in Recent Songs

   Synonyms:

   break, bring to heel, meeken, subdue, subjugate, suppress, tame

Verb (2)

humble (third-person singular simple present humbles, present participle humbling, simple past and past participle humbled)

1. (intransitive, obsolete) To hum.
   • humbling and bumbling

See all 11 meanings of humble