1
as in average
being about midway between extremes of amount or size
he was awarded a modest pension when he retired
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pure
free from any trace of the coarse or indecent
tended to wear more modest swimsuits than the thong-clad guests at the resort
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in shy
not comfortable around people
a modest winner who said a quick thank-you and promptly left the stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in humble
not having or showing any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness
appealingly modest about her success in the fashion industry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of modest
Very few bills with even a modest price tag survived its horizon, limiting lawmakers’ ambitions.
—
Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 15 May 2026
The Stag’s Leap cabernet and the Chateau Montelena chardonnay were priced at a modest ~$6 per bottle and earned rave reviews locally when they were released in 1975.
—Mark Dent, HubSpot, 15 May 2026
The episode then jumps ahead six months to find the family resettled on yet another modest ranch in Ria Paloma, Texas.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 15 May 2026
For the next 11 years, the hotel enjoyed modest success and attracted many of Miami’s most famous personalities.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for modest
Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 15 May 2026
The Stag’s Leap cabernet and the Chateau Montelena chardonnay were priced at a modest ~$6 per bottle and earned rave reviews locally when they were released in 1975.
—Mark Dent, HubSpot, 15 May 2026
The episode then jumps ahead six months to find the family resettled on yet another modest ranch in Ria Paloma, Texas.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 15 May 2026
For the next 11 years, the hotel enjoyed modest success and attracted many of Miami’s most famous personalities.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for modest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modest
Adjective
-
Good for 79 runs of production above an average player, per FanGraphs.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
Even then, savings for average drivers aren’t huge.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Recently, marinated, raw tuna cubes sat on top of a creamy hazelnut and bean pure while a fatty pork jowl was balanced by a tart salsa verde and sprigs of purslane.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
-
The only risk to consider here is Seattle’s pure dominance at home.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Morrow was especially dominant in the second, putting up 10 points and six rebounds to come just shy of a second straight first-half double-double.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
-
Maglares finished one out shy of a complete game for the Rockets in a 4-2 Fox Valley Conference win.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
My occupations have given me a happy, humble, quiet life, but always nagging in the back of my mind has been a case of impostor syndrome.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Gregory Lorenzi has spent the past 10 years at Brest, where his eye for a bargain helped to catapult the humble Breton club from mid-table mediocrity in Ligue 2 to a third-place finish in Ligue 1 and a fairytale Champions League campaign.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
In 2024, the median home price in California topped $800,000, which is double the national median.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
Mamdani intends to cut the median time for approvals from 210 to to 100 days via a mix of simplifying income verification, speeding up the process for lottery winners to be selected, and streamlining the applications, among other things.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
The vibes in the streets are immaculate as the Knicks continue to roll at the Garden and the city keeps shedding its scaffolding, block by block.—
Jesse Kirshbaum,
SPIN,
15 May 2026
-
With a nod to its namesake, French printer Firmin Didot, the interiors are immaculate with contemporary wooden-block four-posters and a secret bookcase bathroom door in one room.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
His is a more enlightened era, but Hannes, lonely and withdrawn, doesn’t share his classmates’ interest in campus sit-ins and free love.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
Lost was the fact that a grid-connection request is just the start of a multiyear process that involves permitting and legal review and often ends in withdrawn or downsized projects.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Gone was the meek servant child, replaced by a confident woman who remained composed during aggressive cross-examination.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
In Sylvie’s imagination, Nita becomes Anna, a sultry beauty with a cruel streak who has been dating the meek Christophe (Niney) while secretly engaging in an affair with their married boss, Pierre (Cassel).—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Modest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modest. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
