modest
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmodestmod‧est /ˈmɒdɪst $ ˈmɑː-/ ●●○ adjective
1 not proudMODEST someone who is modest does not want to talk about their abilities or achievements OPP immodest, boastfulmodest about
He was always modest about his role in the Everest expedition.
You’re too modest! You’ve been a huge help to us.2 not bigLITTLE/NOT MUCH not very great, big, or expensive
a modest increase in costs
She had saved a modest amount of money.
The new service proved a modest success.
a modest house with a small garden
his modest ambitions 3 shySHOW/LET somebody SEE something shy about showing your body or attracting sexual interest, because you are easily embarrassed OPP immodest
She was a modest girl, always keeping covered, even in summer.4 clothes old-fashionedSEXY modest clothing covers the body in a way that does not attract sexual interest
a modest knee-length dress —modestly adverb
‘I was just lucky, ’ he said modestly.
modestly priced mealsTHESAURUSmodest not wanting to talk about your abilities or achievements and to say that you are good at something, even when you are – used to show approvalMiller, a quiet, modest man, gave credit to Asher for the initial discovery.She was surprisingly modest about her own achievements as a player.self-effacing written not wanting to talk about yourself or to attract attentionHer husband was a quiet, self-effacing man who spent much of his time in his study.unassuming not wanting to be noticed and not expecting to be treated in a special wayBy now Chapman was famous, but he remained as unassuming as ever.He then began, in typically unassuming fashion, to establish the first modern dance company.humble believing that you are not more important, better, or cleverer than other people, and therefore not expecting to be treated in a special wayA good leader is humble enough to get advice from experts.unpretentious not trying to seem better than other people, even if you are rich, famous, clever etcPresident Eisenhower was a friendly and unpretentious man who seemed to embody American virtues.It's his unpretentious boyish charm that ensures Jackie Chan's position as one of the giants of international cinema. self-deprecating written behaving or talking about your own abilities or achievements in a way that makes them seem unimportantDespite his intellect, he had an appealing self-deprecating humour.The nice thing about him is his self-deprecating manner. His intellectual ability was never pushed at you, yet he obviously had great potential. a self-deprecating smile
Examples from the Corpusmodest• Visible for a modest $ 2 per person fee, the nine paintings show satyr-like men grappling uncertainly with fleshy nude women.• Don't be so modest!• He was a modest and inspiring person, greatly consumed by the mystery of life.• They're really very modest bathing suits.• Kurtzman said a modest business site can cost as little as $ 4,000 with his Houston company.• Elliot's home in Ironwood is modest, but surrounded by beautiful forests.• Jorgensen and Brinner predicted that many people would choose to own more modest homes on smaller lots.• Revenue figures necessarily start at a modest level and even 100 percent growth leaves us with a level only slightly less modest.• Renzel remains one of the most sincere and modest men I know.• She was a shy, modest person, never one to push herself forward.• Some new brands from South America are making terrific wines for modest prices.• If you could get permission for this modest proposal, all you would need to do is find the funding.• It falls most heavily on people with very modest savings or houses who have not taken appropriate advice.• Luke was too modest to talk about his past achievements.modest about• Jason, a scholarship winner, is modest about his achievements.modest increase• That is described in the Treasury's paper as a modest increase.• Some predicted modest increases, but others were less optimistic.• Legislative leaders, who approved modest increases in college funding in the last few years, could not be reached Friday.• For a very modest increase, the authority could finance the £100 million required for the strategy.Origin modest (1500-1600) Latin modestus
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