humbling 1 of 3

present participle of humble

humbling

2 of 3

adjective

humbling

3 of 3

noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for humbling
Adjective
  • The incursion was a humiliating blow to the Kremlin — the first time the country’s territory was occupied by an invader since World War II.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
  • Fortunately, the comedic characters liven things up, especially Josh Carpenter’s performance as Malvolio, steward to Olivia and the brunt of a humiliating prank.
    Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025
Verb
  • Poor data quality can provide wrong models and alerts, discrediting predictive monitoring.
    Hrushikesh Deshmukh, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Johnson released new guidelines for reporting gifts Wednesday after discrediting the investigation.
    Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Trump tried to claim that media reports about his administration’s early conclusions were somehow demeaning attacks on the performance of our military.
    Chris Brennan, USA Today, 27 June 2025
  • Loss of community trust Trans and nonbinary people have often been studied under opportunistic and demeaning circumstances.
    Paz Galupo, The Conversation, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • Remember, too, that placing the plastic ID tags that come with your plant near its base isn’t a great solution; they get lost and break easily, and the degrading plastic isn’t good for the health of your soil.
    Mike Irvine, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 June 2025
  • Utilities can ask similar questions about households with pool pumps or those that show signs of inefficient or degrading appliances.
    Abhay Gupta, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • In 2023, the U.S. Geological Survey reported that projected coral reef degradation in Florida could increase the coastal flood risk to more than 7,300 people at the cost of $823.6 million annually.
    Rafe Pomerance, Sun Sentinel, 6 July 2025
  • The administration cited the degradation of the current FBI complex as a reason for the move.
    Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
Noun
  • Multiple attachments also come with your purchase (a crevice tool and a pet multi tool), which help to tackle dust in hard-to-reach areas in your home.
    Izzy Baskette, People.com, 5 July 2025
  • Wildfires, blowing dust and ozone are all sources of dangerous air pollution that can trigger breathing difficulties and other health issues.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025
Adjective
  • The pit and toy poodle mix, adopted from a rescue ranch called The Barking Lot outside San Diego, found the sudden arrival of towering boxes and disappearing furniture deeply unsettling.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025
  • Guan Un imagines something more unsettling: Sisyphus needing tech support with his stone.
    John Wiswell, People.com, 3 July 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Humbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humbling. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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