Humbly
adverbIn a modest, unassuming way, without pride or arrogance.
How to spell humbly
6 letters · 2 syllables
How to pronounce humbly
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does humbly mean?
- adverbIn a modest, unassuming way, without pride or arrogance.
Humbly in a sentence
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He humbly accepted the award and thanked his entire team.
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She humbly admitted that she had made the wrong call.
Where does humbly come from?
Language of origin: Latin
This adverb is built on the adjective 'humble', which English took from Old French 'humble' in the 1200s, itself descended from the Latin 'humilis', meaning 'low' or 'lowly'. That Latin word grew directly out of 'humus', the ordinary word for 'ground' or 'earth', so to be humble was originally to be close to the soil rather than raised up high. From this earthy literal sense the word came to describe a modest, unassuming attitude, the opposite of pride. The same 'humus' root sits behind the everyday words 'humid' and even 'exhume' (literally to take out of the ground). When the adverb was formed, the final 'e' of 'humble' was dropped before the '-ly' ending, which is exactly the spot that trips writers who expect to see 'humblely'.
How the word is built
- humbl- (from humble: lowly, modest)
- -ly (adverb suffix); the silent 'e' of 'humble' is dropped before -ly
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