modestly
Definition
Adverb: 1. In a modest manner; without excess, pretension, or boastfulness: Behaving or speaking in a way that is unassuming, humble, and does not draw excessive attention to oneself or one's achievements. 2. To a moderate degree; not excessively: In a limited or reasonable amount.
Usage and Examples
Describing humble behavior or presentation:
- She accepted the award modestly, thanking her team rather than taking all the credit.
- He lives modestly despite his wealth, preferring a simple house and an old car.
Describing something done to a moderate degree or scale:
- The restaurant is modestly priced, making it popular with students.
- The plan was modestly successful, meeting its basic goals but not exceeding them.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- Used to understate or downplay one's own role, achievement, or possession, often for rhetorical effect or politeness.
- The book was titled, modestly,
A Few Thoughts on Economics'.li> <li>I know a little about gardening,' she said modestly, though she was an expert.
Variants and Related Words
- Modest (adjective): Unassuming in the estimation of one's abilities or achievements; not excessive in size, amount, or pretension.
- a modest income, a modest proposal
- Modesty (noun): The quality or state of being modest.
- Her modesty prevented her from boasting about her victory.
Synonyms
- Humbly: In a manner showing a low estimate of one's own importance.
- Unassumingly: In a modest or unpretentious way.
- Simply: In a plain and straightforward manner.
Antonyms
- Immodestly: In a boastful or pretentious manner.
- Arrogantly: In an overly proud and self-important way.
- Extravagantly: In a manner exceeding what is reasonable or appropriate; excessively.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- To put it modestly: A phrase used to introduce a statement that is a deliberate understatement.
- The project was, to put it modestly, a complete disaster. (Meaning it was a huge disaster.)
Adverb
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with modesty; in a modest manner
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the dissertation was entitled, modestly, `Remarks about a play by Shakespeare'
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