Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Having or showing a moderate estimation of one's own abilities, accomplishments, or value.
- adjective Having or proceeding from a disinclination to call attention to oneself; retiring or diffident.
- adjective Observing conventional proprieties in speech, behavior, or dress, especially in the avoidance of arousing sexual interest.
- adjective Free from showiness or ostentation; unpretentious: synonym: plain.
- adjective Moderate or limited in size, quantity, or range; not extreme.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Retiring in disposition or demeanor; restrained by a sense of propriety, humility, or diffidence; not ostentatious, bold, or forward; unobtrusive.
- Acting with decorum or delicacy; restrained by chaste or scrupulous feelings; pure in thought and conduct.
- Manifesting or seeming to manifest humility, propriety, or decorum; not gaudy, showy, or meretricious.
- Moderate; not excessive or extreme; not extravagant: as, a modest computation; a modest fortune.
- Unpretentious.
- Synonyms Unassuming, unpretending, coy, shy. See
bashfulness . - Decent, chaste, virtuous.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Restraining within due limits of propriety; not forward, bold, boastful, or presumptious; rather retiring than pushing one's self forward; not obstructive
- adjective Observing the proprieties of the sex; not unwomanly in act or bearing; free from undue familiarity, indecency, or lewdness; decent in speech and demeanor; -- said of a woman.
- adjective Evincing modestly in the actor, author, or speaker; not showing presumption; not excessive or extreme; moderate
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Not
bragging orboasting about oneself or one's achievements,unpretentious ,humble . - adjective Small,
moderate in size. - adjective Avoiding being sexually suggestive.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective marked by simplicity; having a humble opinion of yourself
- adjective free from pomp or affectation
- adjective limited in size or scope
- adjective not large but sufficient in size or amount
- adjective low or inferior in station or quality
- adjective not offensive to sexual mores in conduct or appearance
- adjective humble in spirit or manner; suggesting retiring mildness or even cowed submissiveness
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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Well, I think we gave pretty specific guidance on growth rates and we used the term modest leverage.
unknown title 2011
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Nawas is just one of a group of athletic Kansas City area young Muslim women who wear the hijab and what they term "modest" dress long sleeves and pants or long skirts.
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Nawas is just one of a group of athletic Kansas City area young Muslim women who wear the hijab and what they term "modest" dress - long sleeves and pants or long skirts.
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Mohammed Rashid, its general manager, said the attack was expected to halt what he called a modest rebound in commercial shipping to Tripoli after an initial wartime slowdown.
NATO Hits 3 Libyan Ports Richard Boudreaux 2011
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Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao told reporters Friday that for the entire year, though, China is expecting only what he called a modest trade surplus.
China Willing to Discuss Human Rights Differences With US 2011
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Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao told reporters Friday that for the entire year, though, China is expecting only what he called a modest trade surplus.
China Willing to Discuss Human Rights Differences With US 2011
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As the word "modest" suggests, Gil is the quieter one.
Nancy Ruhling: Astoria Characters: The Couplets Couple Nancy Ruhling 2011
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Erica says yes, she is going to take advantage of the sales because "it's the only way that she can afford to have what she calls a modest Christmas."
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Pentagon officials say they are contemplating now what they call a modest increase in those forces.
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Bolton told senators he has had made what he calls modest progress toward reforming the U.N. bureaucracy and in demanding a stronger response to North Korea's missile tests.
whichbe commented on the word modest
The most MOD.
July 19, 2009