modesty

mod·es·ty

 (mŏd′ĭ-stē)

n.

1. The state or quality of being moderate in the estimation of one's own abilities, accomplishments, or value.

2. Reserve or propriety in speech, dress, or behavior: Modesty prevented her from wearing that dress.

3. The state of being unostentatious or moderate in size, quantity, or range: the modesty of the room's furnishings.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

modesty

(ˈmɒdɪstɪ)

n, pl -ties

1. the quality or condition of being modest

2. (Clothing & Fashion) (modifier) designed to prevent inadvertent exposure of part of the body: a modesty flap.

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

mod•es•ty

(ˈmɒd ə sti)

n.

1. regard for decency of behavior, speech, dress, etc.

2. lack of vanity.

[1525–35; < Latin modestia. See modest, -y³]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Modesty

 

See Also: MEEKNESS, PERSONAL TRAITS

1. As humbly as a guest who knows himself too late —Hart Crane
2. Humility is like underwear, essential but indecent if it shows —Helen Nielsen, Reader’s Digest, March, 1959
3. If you really were a hero … you made it sound routine and unglamorous, like shrugging off a ninety-yard touchdown run as “Good luck and good blocking” —Dan Wakefield
4. I looked as if I were trying to melt into the scenery and become invisible, like a giraffe standing motionless among sunlit leaves —Christopher Isherwood
5. Modest as a flower —Ella Wheeler Wilcox
6. Modest as justice —William Shakespeare
7. Modesty is like virtue; suspected only when it is advertised —Douglas Malloch
8. Modesty like a diver gathers pearls by keeping his head low —Punch
9. Modesty’s at times its own reward, like virtue —Lord Byron

Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	modesty - freedom from vanity or conceit   modestness decency - the quality of conforming to standards of propriety and morality Grundyism, primness, prudery, prudishness - excessive or affected modesty immodesty - the trait of being vain and conceited
	2.	modesty - formality and propriety of manner   reserve correctitude, properness, propriety - correct or appropriate behavior demureness - the trait of behaving with reserve and decorum

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

modesty

noun

1. reserve, decency, humility, shyness, propriety, reticence, timidity, diffidence, quietness, coyness, self-effacement, meekness, lack of pretension, bashfulness, humbleness, unpretentiousness, demureness, unobtrusiveness, discreetness His modesty does him credit.
reserve confidence, pride, assurance, vanity, arrogance, presumption, extravagance, conceit, indecency, boldness, egotism, ostentation, pretentiousness, immodesty, haughtiness, boastfulness, forwardness, showiness

2. plainness, simplicity, ordinariness, unpretentiousness, inexpensiveness The modesty of the town itself comes as a surprise.

3. decorum, virtue, decency, delicacy, propriety, sobriety, coyness, demureness, decorousness, seemliness, chasteness There were shrieks as the girls tried to protect their modesty.

Quotations
"Small is the worth"
"Of beauty from the light retir'd;"
"Bid her come forth,"
"Suffer herself to be desir'd,"
"And not blush so to be admir'd" [Edmund Waller Go Lovely Rose!]

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

modesty

noun

1. Lack of vanity or self-importance:

humbleness, humility, lowliness, meekness.

2. Reserve in speech, behavior, or dress:

demureness, diffidence, reticence, self-effacement.

3. The condition of being chaste:

chastity, decency, innocence, purity, virginity, virtue, virtuousness.

4. Lack of ostentation or pretension:

plainness, simpleness, simplicity, unassumingness, unostentatiousness, unpretentiousness.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

تَواضُع

skromnostmírnost

beskedenhed

Bescheidenheit

pudor

häveliäisyyskainoussäädyllisyysvaatimattomuus

modestie

čednostskromnost

hæverska; lítillæti

modestiapudiciziamoderazione

bescheidenheid

skromność

modéstia

сдержанностьскромностьцеломудрие

skromnost

čednostskromnostскромностчедност

alçakgönüllülük

谦虚

modesty

[ˈmɒdɪstɪ] N

1. (= humbleness) → modestia f
in all modesty, I think I could do the job better → modestamente or con toda modestia, creo yo que podría hacer mejor el trabajo
I can't tell you, modesty forbids → no puedo decírtelo, pecaría de poco modesto
see also false A3

2. (= propriety) → pudor m, recato m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

modesty

[ˈmɒdɪsti] n

(= absence of pride) → modestie f

[price] → caractère m raisonnable

to protect one's modesty (= decency) → protéger sa pudeur

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

modesty

n

(= humbleness) → Bescheidenheit f; in all modesty → bei aller Bescheidenheit; the modesty of the man! (iro) → der ist ja überhaupt nicht von sich eingenommen! (iro inf)

(= moderation) → Bescheidenheit f, → Genügsamkeit f; (of price) → Mäßigkeit f

(= chasteness) → Schamgefühl nt; (in behaviour) → Anstand m, → Sittsamkeit f (geh), → Züchtigkeit f (old); (in dress) → Unauffälligkeit f, → Dezentheit f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

modesty

[ˈmɒdɪstɪ] n → modestia
in all modesty → in tutta modestia

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

modest

(ˈmodist) adjective

1. not having, or showing, too high an opinion of one's abilities etc. He's very modest about his success. beskeie مُتَواضِع скромен modesto skromný bescheiden beskeden μετριόφρων, σεμνόςmodesto tagasihoidlik فروتن vaatimaton modesteצנוע, עניו संकोची uljudan szerény rendah hati hógvær, lítillátur modesto 謙そんな 겸손한 kuklus pieticīgs; kautrīgs rendah diri bescheidenbeskjeden, unnseligskromny متواضع modesto mo­dest скромный skromný skromen skroman blygsam, försynt ถ่อมตัว alçakgönüllü, mütevazı 謙虛的 скромний منکسر المزاج khiêm tốn 谦虚的

2. decent, or showing good taste; not shocking. modest clothing. beskeie بَسيط، مُحْتَشَم приличен modesto decentní, neokázalý einfach sømmelig μερημένος, σεμνόςrecatado kombekas باحیا maltillinen réservé, pudiqueצנוע संतुलित, मर्यादित skroman egyszerű sederhana látlaus modesto 慎み深い 얌전한 kuklus pieticīgs; vienkāršs sopan ingetogenanstendigskromny با حيا modesto decent (благо)пристойный;сдержанный decentný spodoben skroman anspråkslös เรียบร้อย gösterişsiz, iddiasız 端莊的 скромний شائستہ giản dị 端庄的

3. not very large; moderate. She's a person of modest ambitions. matige, gemiddelde مُعْتَدِل، لَيس كَبيرا умерен modesto umírněný maßvoll beskeden μέτριος, λιγοστόςpequeño, moderado mõõdukas افتاده kohtuullinen modeste לא גָדוֹל सामान्य umjeren mérsékelt, szerény sedang hóflegur, lítillátur modesto 穏当な 적당한 kuklus pieticīgs sederhana bescheidenbeskjedenskromny لويدلى modesto modest, nepretenţios умеренный nenáročný zmeren umeren anspråkslös ไม่ใหญ่โตโอ่อ่า mütevazı 不大的, 適度的 скромний; помірний معتدل bình thường 不太大，适度的

ˈmodestly adverb

beskeie بِتَواضُع скромно modestamente skromně bescheiden beskedent με μετριοφροσύνη modestamente tagasihoidlikult با شرم vaatimattomasti modestement בְּצנִיעוּת संकोच से skromno mérsékelten; szerényen, egyszerűen dengan rendah hati hæversklega modestamente 控えめに 적당히 kukliai pieticīgi dengan merendah diri bescheidenbeskjedent; anstendig, blygt skromnie شرمناك modestamente cu modestie скромно; умеренно skromne skromno umereno blygsamt, anspråkslöst โดยพอประมาณ alçakgönüllülükle 謙虛地，端莊地，適度地 скромно خاکساری سے một cách khiêm tốn 谦虚地，适度地

ˈmodesty noun

beskeidenheid تَواضُع скромност modéstia skromnost; mírnost die Bescheidenheit beskedenhed μετριοφροσύνηmodestia tagasihoidlikkus عفت vaatimattomuus modestieצניעות संकोच čednost, skromnost szerénység; mérséklet, mértékletesség kerendahan hati hæverska; lítillæti modestia 謙そん 적당함, 겸손 kuklumas pieticība sifat rendah diri bescheidenheidbeskjedenhet; anstendighetskromność عفت modéstia modestie; decenţă скромность; умеренность skromnosť skromnost umerenost blygsamhet, anspråkslöshet ความพอประมาณ alçakgönüllülük 謙虛 скромність انکسار tính khiêm tốn 谦虚

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