humble – English adjective declension

English adjective forms of humble

Adjective: humble

Comparison Forms

Synthetic

Comparativehumbler
Superlativehumblest

Perifrastic

Comparativemore humble
Superlativemost humble

Sample Sentences

  • He lives in a humble one-bedroom cottage.
  • 17th century, Abraham Cowley, The Shortness of Life and Uncertainty of Riches
  • The wise example of the heavenly lark.
  • Thy fellow poet, Cowley, mark,
  • Above the clouds let thy proud music sound,
  • Thy humble nest build on the ground.
  • Roominess and unroominess in a human dwelling, even of the humblest kind, are important matters in their bearing upon man's character. [1894, Irish Builder and Engineer, volume 36, page 147:]
  • Undoubtedly it can be said that the humble 0-6-0 has been the backbone for general service, or general utility on British railways right from their earliest days, and is likely to remain so. [1945 November and December, H. C. Casserley, “Random Reflections on British Locomotive Types—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 320:]
  • Lucky that my lips not only mumble / They spill kisses like a fountain / Lucky that my breasts are small and humble / So you don't confuse 'em with mountains [2001 August 30, Shakira, “Whenever, Wherever”, in Laundry Service:]
  • She ſhould be humble, who would pleaſe;
  • And ſhe muſt ſuffer, who can love. [a. 1722 (date written), Matthew Prior, “Cloe Jealous”, in The Poetical Works of Matthew Prior […], volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan, […], published 1779, →OCLC, stanza V, page 109:]
  • Rosol's 65 winners to Nadal's 41 was one of the crucial statistics in the 3hr 18min match that ended in a 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 triumph labelled a "miracle" by Rosol, who was humble enough to offer commiserations to Nadal. [2012 June 28, Jamie Jackson, “Wimbledon 2012: Lukas Rosol shocked by miracle win over Rafael Nadal”, in The Guardian, London:]

Adjectives inflected like humble

serene, severe, secure, sedate, wheelie, simple, complete, fulsome, sprightlie, discrete, plosive, bizarre, brusque, brittle, wholesome, sincere, shystie, loveable, prophane, terrible, etc. (List truncated at 20 adjectives)

Etymology

From Middle English humble, from Old French humble, umble, humle, from Latin humilis (“low, slight, hence mean, humble”) (compare Greek χαμηλός (khamēlós, “on the ground, low, trifling”)), from humus (“the earth, ground”), humi (“on the ground”). See homage, and compare chameleon, humiliate. Displaced native Old English ēaþmōd. See: Latin Adjectives 'humilis'.