Humbling

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Humble \Hum"ble\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Humbled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
     {Humbling}.]
     1. To bring low; to reduce the power, independence, or
        exaltation of; to lower; to abase; to humilate.
        [1913 Webster]
  


              Here, take this purse, thou whom the heaven's
              plagues
              Have humbled to all strokes.          --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The genius which humbled six marshals of France.
                                                    --Macaulay.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To make humble or lowly in mind; to abase the pride or
        arrogance of; to reduce the self-sufficiently of; to make
        meek and submissive; -- often used rexlexively.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of
              God, that he may exalt you.           --1 Pet. v. 6.
  
     Syn: To abase; lower; depress; humiliate; mortify; disgrace;
          degrade.
          [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  humbling
       adj : causing awareness of your shortcomings; "golf is a humbling
             game" [syn: {demeaning}, {humiliating}, {mortifying}]