modest

English

Etymology

From Middle French modeste, from Latin modestus.

Pronunciation

  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈmɑdəst/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Homophone: Mahdist
  • Rhymes: -ɒdəst

Adjective

modest (3) Venus statue.

modest (comparative more modest or modester, superlative most modest or modestest)

  1. Not bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble.
    Synonyms: demure, meek; see also Thesaurus:humble
    Antonyms: arrogant, immodest; see also Thesaurus:arrogant
  2. Small, moderate in size.
    Synonyms: moderate, tiny; see also Thesaurus:intermediate, Thesaurus:small
    Antonyms: immodest, obscene; see also Thesaurus:large, Thesaurus:excessive
    He earns a modest amount of money.
    Her latest novel was a modest success.
  3. Pure and delicate from a sense of propriety.
    Synonyms: chaste, demure, prudish, virginal
    Antonyms: immodest, obscene; see also Thesaurus:obscene
    modest thoughts or language
    • 1611, Joseph Hall, To the Praise of the Dead, and the Anatomy, lines 21-24:
      ... Enough is vs to praise them that praise thee, / And say that but enough those praises bee, Which had'st thou liu'd, had hid their fearefull head / From th'angry checkings of thy modest red ...
  4. (especially of behavior or clothing) Intending to avoid the encouraging of sexual attraction in others.
    Synonyms: austere, chaste; see also Thesaurus:unadorned
    Antonyms: provocative, sexy, sensual, flamboyant; see also Thesaurus:sexy, Thesaurus:gaudy

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

Albanian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /mɔdɛst/

Adjective

modést (feminine modeste)

  1. modest

Derived terms

Further reading

  • Jani Thomai et al. (2006), “modest”, in FGJSH: Fjalor i gjuhës shqipe [Dictionary of the Albanian language] (in Albanian), Tiranë: Akademia e Shkencave e Shqipërisë
  • FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎[1], 1980

Catalan

Etymology

    Learned borrowing from Latin modestus.

    Pronunciation

    Adjective

    modest (feminine modesta, masculine plural modests or modestos, feminine plural modestes)

    1. modest
      Antonym: immodest

    Derived terms

    Further reading

    Romanian

    Etymology

    Etymology tree
    Latin modestuslbor.
    Latin modestuslbor.
    French modestebor.
    Italian modestobor.
    Romanian modest

      Learned borrowing from Latin modestus, or borrowed from French modeste or Italian modesto.

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /moˈdest/
      • Audio:(file)

      Adjective

      modest m or n (feminine singular modestă, masculine plural modești, feminine/neuter plural modeste)

      1. modest

      Declension

      Declension of modest
      singular plural
      masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
      nominative-
      accusative       		indefinite modest modestă modești modeste
      definite modestul modesta modeștii modestele
      genitive-
      dative       		indefinite modest modeste modești modeste
      definite modestului modestei modeștilor modestelor
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