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
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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
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3
as in shy
not comfortable around people
a modest winner who said a quick thank-you and promptly left the stage
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of modest
In San Antonio, insurance services ranked as the most concentrated, although that industry saw modest job losses while other sectors, like the large local real estate, construction and development sector, grew rapidly.
—
Trevor Bach, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Given the spike in gasoline prices, ridership on public transportation is likely to rise so a modest increase in fares could be sufficient.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
But also a revenue source, albeit a modest one in the grand scheme of things.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
Tuition costs a modest $2,500 per semester with the total rising to $5,550 to include room and board and a registration fee.
—Olivia Empson, Vanity Fair, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for modest
Trevor Bach, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Given the spike in gasoline prices, ridership on public transportation is likely to rise so a modest increase in fares could be sufficient.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
But also a revenue source, albeit a modest one in the grand scheme of things.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
Tuition costs a modest $2,500 per semester with the total rising to $5,550 to include room and board and a registration fee.
—Olivia Empson, Vanity Fair, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for modest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modest
Adjective
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Thousands are now not showing up for work, hundreds have quit altogether, and the average wait time at airports has reached record levels.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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That’s the view of Robinhood, which counts 250,000 customers paying on average $250 annually to use its Strategies, an AI tool guided by human advisors.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Their relationship starts as pure rivalry, shifts into a friends-with-benefits arrangement and eventually evolves into a full romantic relationship across the six-episode first season.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Mar. 2026
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But Honeywell is inching up, as people anticipate receiving shares of a pure-play aerospace company and an automation and security company.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In virtually staged listing photos, the floorboards are black and polished, the walls are white, and, in lieu of a wall dividing the bedroom from the living and dining, there are custom double-sided bookshelves just shy of the roughly 13-foot ceiling.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
26 Mar. 2026
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The pair were on their way to Kennedy’s cousin Rory’s wedding when his plane crashed off of Martha’s Vineyard on the evening of Friday, July 16, 1999, killing all three passengers on board instantly — roughly two months shy of the couple’s third wedding anniversary.—
Dan Heching,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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There wasn’t anything inherently wrong with this, but outsourcing the writing to professionals only underscored the degree to which this humble document, once meant to blunt the puffery of the cover letter, had now become the leading weapon in the job seeker’s arsenal.—
Stephen Mihm,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
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Sporks have come a long way from their humble beginnings in Rhode Island, and as the traveler’s preferred eating utensil, they’re destined to go ever further.—
James Stout,
Outside,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While the nation’s median age has risen across racial and ethnic groups, the increase is sharpest among White Americans (from 30 to 45 years old) and Black Americans (from 21 to 36 years old).—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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The Bottom Line for Fort Worth Buyers Fort Worth remains more affordable than the national market, with a median home price roughly $70,000 below the national median of approximately $410,000.—
System Process,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Three matches into the campaign, San Diego is undefeated and defensively immaculate.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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Go Vertical For Evans, maintaining an immaculate home is all about the details.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Parents report that many children stop eating, lose weight and become withdrawn.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
6 Feb. 2026
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Along the way, Babilonia matured from the shy withdrawn child who refused to hold a boy’s hand into a bold, strong and confident woman.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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That included a meek loss in Toronto, with Murray not participating on the second night of a back-to-back following a blowout loss at Detroit.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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The other, meek and mild-mannered.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Modest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modest. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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