Synonyms of modest
59 similar words · 60 opposite words
Another word for modest is little. Other synonyms of modest are humble, meek, small-scale, poor and demure. The opposite of modest is arrogant.
Synonyms and similar words for modest
adjectiveNot bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble.
- demureModest, quiet, reserved, or serious.
- meekHumble, non-boastful, modest, meager, or self-effacing.
- abased
- diffidentLacking self-confidence; timid; modest.
- humbleNot pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming.
- humble-heartedMeek; humble; unassuming.
- lowHumble, meek, not haughty.
- lowlyHaving a low esteem of one's own worth; humble; meek; free from pride.
- mild
- poorFree from self-assertion; not proud or arrogant; meek.
- resignedCharacterized by resignation or acceptance.
- self-effacingShy, extremely humble and modest; making oneself seem unnoticeable.
- unpretentiousSimple, humble, not pretentious, plain.
- verecund rareModest.
adjectiveSmall, moderate in size.
- moderate
- tinyVery small.
- average
- intermediateBeing between two extremes, or in the middle of a range.
- middle
- middling
- medium
- medial
- compact
- fun size euphemisticSmall in size.
- fun-sized euphemistic
- ickleLittle.
- insignificant
- lit'l
- littleSmall, not large, limited, particularly.
- miniMiniature, tiny, small.
- pettyLittle or small in size.
- pint-sized colloquialComparatively small in size.
- pocket-size
- slim
- slight
- small
- small-scaleHaving a modest scope or extent.
- undersizedBelow the usual or expected size.
- wee Ireland, ScotlandSmall, little.
- wurly Scotland
adjectivePure and delicate from a sense of propriety.
adjectiveIntending to avoid the encouraging of sexual attraction in others.
- austereLacking decoration; trivial; not extravagant or gaudy.
- bareHaving no decoration.
- inornateNot ornate.
- plainOrdinary; lacking adornment or ornamentation; unembellished.
- quietNot showy; undemonstrative.
- severeSober, plain in appearance, austere.
- simpleUncomplicated; lacking complexity; taken by itself, with nothing added.
- spartanLacking in decoration and luxury.
- unadornedHaving no additional decoration or embellishment; plain and simple.
- unembellishedPlain, unadorned, or simple.
- unextravagantNot extravagant.
- unornamentedNot ornamented; without ornament.
- undeckedUnadorned.
- ungarnishedNot garnished.
- untrimmedNot adorned with trimmings.
- unvarnishedNatural, unmodified, unembellished, not exaggerated.
Opposite of modest
adjectiveNot bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble.
- arrogantHaving excessive pride in oneself, often with contempt or disrespect for others.
- immodestWithout customary restraint or modesty of expression; shameless.
- airy
- chesty informal
- authoritarian
- biggityConceited, uppity.
- big-headed slang
- blustery
- turgescent formalBecoming turgid or swollen.
- boastfulTending to boast or brag.
- lordly
- bombastic
- cockyOverly confident; arrogant and boastful.
- conceited
- disdainfulShowing contempt or scorn; having a pronounced lack of concern for others viewed as unworthy.
- domineeringOverbearing, dictatorial or authoritarian.
- egotistical
- entitled
- flauntingThat flaunts; showy or gaudy.
- full of oneselfEgotistical, believing oneself to be superior to others; preoccupied with one's own work, interests, point of view, etc.
- grandiose
- hankty
- haughtyConveying in demeanour the assumption of superiority; disdainful, supercilious.
- high-handedUsing power or authority without proper consideration for the feelings or rights of others.
- high-hat colloquialDisdainful; haughty.
- high and mighty
- highfalutin colloquialSelf-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical.
- hoity-toity colloquial
- holier-than-thouHypocritically or self-righteously pious; sanctimonious; smugly morally superior.
- hubristicOf or relating to hubris (“excessive arrogance or pride, or presumption”); hence, overly arrogant or proud, or...
- hubristicalHubristic.
- imperious
- inflated
- insolent
- la-di-da
- ostentatious
- overbearingOverly bossy, domineering, arrogant, forceful, intense, or annoying.
- overweening
- pompousAffectedly grand, solemn or self-important.
- presumptuousMaking unwarranted presumptions or assumptions, often out of arrogance or excessive self-confidence, and thus exceeding...
- pretentious
- priggishLike a prig.
- puffed up
- sanctimonious
- self-importantHaving, or behaving as if having, too high an opinion of one's own importance.
- snobbish slangHaving the property of being a snob; arrogant and pretentious; smugly superior or dismissive of perceived inferiors.
- snooty slangHaughty, pompous, snobbish; inclined to turn up one's nose.
- snotty slang
- stout
- stuck up slang
- superciliousArrogantly superior; showing contemptuous indifference; haughty.
- thrasonicThrasonical.
- thrasonicalBoastful, bragging, vainglorious.
- toplofticalHaughty, hoity-toity, superior.
- toploftySelf-important, haughty.
- tumid
- turgid
- uppish
- uppity
- uppySynonym of uppity.
Meaning of modest
- adjective Not bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble.
- adjective Small, moderate in size.
- adjective Pure and delicate from a sense of propriety.
modest in other languages
Questions about synonyms of modest
- What is another word for modest?
- Modest has 59 synonyms on Word.ws, such as little, humble, meek, small-scale, poor, demure, low and self-effacing.
- What is the opposite of modest?
- The opposite of modest is arrogant. Other antonyms of modest are pompous, immodest, hubristic, self-important and high-handed.
- What does modest mean?
- Modest means not bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble.
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: modest (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “Synonyms of modest.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/modest. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.