modestly
modestly — adverb
1. to a small or moderate extent; not by a large amount, nor at a high price — for
to a small or moderate extent; not by a large amount, nor at a high price — for example, sales that grow only a little, or a hotel room that costs a reasonable amount.
The restaurant was modestly priced, so the Watanabe family could eat there every week.
modestly + past participle (priced) for affordable cost
Hiro's grades improved modestly after he started studying with a tutor.
modestly + verb of change (improved)
The company's sales grew only modestly in the third quarter of last year.
Mr. and Mrs. Chen live modestly on a small pension from the city government.
The hotel room was modestly furnished but very clean and comfortable.
- reasonably
focuses on fair price rather than small size or degree
- slightly
suggests a smaller degree than modestly; often negative in tone
- humbly
shared spelling with sense 2 but in this context means 'simply'
- greatly
implies a large extent or degree
- extravagantly
suggests high spending rather than moderate cost
文法句型
modestly + verb (grew/improved)
modestly + past participle (priced/furnished)
用法筆記
Commonly collocates with past participles describing cost or size (priced, furnished, decorated) and verbs of change (increase, grow, improve).
常見錯誤
2. showing a lack of vanity about your talents or accomplishments — for example, re
showing a lack of vanity about your talents or accomplishments — for example, replying to a compliment by saying you simply did what anyone else would have done.
When asked about her award, Anong replied modestly that she had only done her job.
verb of speaking + modestly (replied modestly)
Liam spoke modestly about his role in the rescue, giving credit to his teammates.
Dr. Okafor modestly declined to put his name on the research paper.
The author described her latest novel modestly as "a small story about ordinary people."
- humbly
very close in meaning; humbly can include a sense of low social rank
- unassumingly
more formal; suggests not drawing attention to oneself at all
- self-effacingly
suggests almost avoiding attention entirely, sometimes with humour
- boastfully
talking with excessive pride about oneself
- proudly
can be neutral but contrasts sharply with modesty in this sense
文法句型
verb of speaking + modestly (said/replied/spoke)
modestly + verb of declining/describing
用法筆記
Often pairs with verbs of communication (say, reply, speak, describe, mention). The opposite behaviour is 'boastfully' or 'proudly'.
常見錯誤
3. covering most of the body and avoiding styles meant to draw romantic notice — li
covering most of the body and avoiding styles meant to draw romantic notice — like clothes with long sleeves and skirts below the knee.
Saira always dresses modestly, wearing long skirts and tops with sleeves.
verb + modestly (dresses modestly) for clothing habits
The school requires all students to dress modestly during sports events and ceremonies.
Élise chose a modestly cut dress for the formal dinner party her grandparents attended.
In many cultures, men and women are expected to behave modestly in places of worship.
- conservatively
emphasises traditional or conventional standards of dress
- decently
focuses on covering enough to meet social standards of propriety
- demurely
suggests a quiet, shy manner in addition to modest dress
- provocatively
dressing or behaving in a way intended to attract sexual attention
- revealingly
wearing clothing that shows a lot of the body
文法句型
verb + modestly (dress/behave)
modestly + past participle (cut/chosen)
用法筆記
Particularly common in discussions of dress codes, religious customs, and conservative social norms. The focus is on outward appearance and conduct rather than inner attitude.