humbled (comparativemorehumbled,superlativemosthumbled)
- (proscribed) (usually qualifying a first-person pronoun) Grateful for the support of others,touched;honored,flattered.
- 2014 September 24,"Web Access... Simon Pegg / Edgar Wright" BBC Online:
- JJ: Are youhumbled by such positive reactions from such a wide spectrum of people, from George A Romero to Harry Knowles?
- SP: Absolutely. Yeah, it's wonderful. ... We're veryhumbled and very pleased.
2014 November 4, John Boehner,Statement by Speaker Boehner On Outlook For The 114th Congress[4]:We arehumbled by the responsibility the American people have placed with us, but this is not a time for celebration.
2015 May, C. Joyce Hall, “Humbled and Honored”, inABA Health eSource, volume11, number 9:I cannot adequately express my sincere thanks to the Section leaders who saw fit to take a chance on me and ask me to get involved in leadership in the Section. Thank you for being excellent role models. I am honored andhumbled to serve.
- 2015 September 12,'HONORED ANDHUMBLED' ESPINOZA TO RECEIVE LAFFIT PINCAY, JR. AWARD Paulick Report:
- "Anytime I win an award of any kind I am honored and humbled," Espinoza said.
- Overcome withhumility; in awe of the strength of another or one's own weakness
- 2010 February 1, Tom Hagan'I amhumbled by these people'National Catholic Reporter:
- They would continue to suffer greatly but they have a strength that is remarkable. I amhumbled by them and privileged to be with them.
2019 November 12, Gal Koplewitz, “Amos Oz and the Politics of the Hebrew Language”, inThe New Yorker[5]:The written word, he often argued, could only ever be a low-fidelity reproduction of the fullness of being; any text was ultimatelyhumbled by the reality that it sought to represent.
The use of such forms as "I am humbled" in victory speeches and the like has been criticised as anoxymoron given the meaning of the verbhumble. It indicatesmodesty via a sense of unworthiness of the honor, or surprise at one's success;humility rather thanhumiliation. See alsohumblebrag.[1][2][3]
humbled
- simplepast andpastparticiple ofhumble
- ^Patricia T. O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman (4 January 2013), “A humbling victory?”, inThe Grammarphobia Blog[1]
- ^Meghan Daum (26 December 2013), “Humbletalk: It's just another way to say 'smug'”, inLos Angeles Times[2]
- ^Arwa Mahdawi (14 September 2022), “Celebrities, let me fix this for you – you’re not ‘humbled’ to win something, you are ‘honoured’”, inThe Guardian[3], London
