modest

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈmɑdəst/ See IPA manual

adj Freq #6396

Meanings

1

adj
Not very large in size or amount.

He earns a modest amount of money.
2

adj
Not talking proudly about your own abilities or achievements.

Despite her success, she remained modest about her talent.
3

adj
Simple and not showy; without luxury.

They lived in a comfortable but modest little cottage.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not very large in size or... small moderate limited

2 adj · not talking proudly about... humble unassuming

3 adj · simple and not showy;... plain simple

Word family

Derived forms hypermodestmodestlymodestnessovermodestpseudomodestsupermodestultramodestunmodest

Related forms modesty

Etymology

From Middle French modeste, from Latin modestus.

*med- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

# modest

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈmɑdəst
**Frequency rank:** 6396

## Meanings
1. Not very large in size or amount.
2. Not talking proudly about your own abilities or achievements.
3. Simple and not showy; without luxury.

## Examples
- He earns a modest amount of money.
- Despite her success, she remained modest about her talent.
- They lived in a comfortable but modest little cottage.

## Derived Forms
- hypermodest
- modestly
- modestness
- overmodest
- pseudomodest
- supermodest
- ultramodest
- unmodest

## Related Forms
- modesty

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *med-

## Etymology
From Middle French modeste, from Latin modestus.

## AI Etymology
Modest comes from Middle French modeste, from Latin modestus. In present-day English its meanings include not very large in size or amount, not talking proudly about your own abilities or achievements, and simple and not showy; without luxury. Related and derived forms include modesty, hypermodest, modestly, and modestness.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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