humbly

IPA/ˈhʌmbli/
KK[hˈʌmbli]IPA/ˈhʌmbli/

humbly — adverb

1. behaving or speaking in a modest way, without showing pride or acting as if you

1.副詞B2
釋義

behaving or speaking in a modest way, without showing pride or acting as if you are better or more important than other people.

例句

Paloma humbly accepted the award, thanking her teammates for their support.

humbly + verb of accepting

When asked about his success, Eli humbly replied that he still had a lot to learn.

humbly replied (verb of speaking)

同義詞
  • modestly

    more neutral and widely used; 'humbly' has a slightly warmer, more self-deprecating tone

  • meekly

    implies a weaker, more submissive attitude; often carries a slightly negative connotation of being too passive

  • deferentially

    emphasises respect shown toward others in a formal way rather than one's own self-image

反義詞
  • proudly

    direct opposite; shows satisfaction with oneself rather than deflecting attention

  • arrogantly

    stronger opposite, with a negative judgement that the person acts superior to others

  • boastfully

    focuses on openly praising oneself instead of staying modest

用法筆記

Commonly modifies verbs of speaking (said, replied, asked) or verbs of accepting (accepted, received, thanked).

常見錯誤

❌He humbly boasted about his promotion.
✅He humbly thanked his colleagues for their help during the project.
💡'humbly' contradicts 'boasted'; use it only with modest, self-effacing actions.

2. from poor or working-class origins — used when describing the modest early circu

2.副詞B2
釋義

from poor or working-class origins — used when describing the modest early circumstances of a person's life or the beginning of an organisation.

例句

The chef grew up humbly in a fishing village and never forgot where he came from.

humbly + grew up

Nora was humbly born to parents who worked as farm labourers in the countryside.

humbly born

同義詞
  • lowly

    more direct synonym; 'humbly' sounds slightly warmer and less negative

  • poorly

    emphasises lack of money rather than social standing in general

  • simply

    focuses on the plain, unadorned nature of the lifestyle rather than social rank

反義詞
  • nobly

    refers to being born into a high-ranking, aristocratic family

  • wealthily

    focuses on the financial aspect of high-status birth

用法筆記

Most often appears with the verbs 'born' and 'grew up', or with 'started' when describing the early stage of an organisation. This sense is less common than sense 1 and is typically used in narratives about someone's origins.

常見錯誤

❌The princess was humbly born in a palace.
✅The princess was born in a palace.
💡'humbly born' contradicts a royal birth; use it only when the person's family was poor or low-status.