When we get schooled at something, the experience may leave us feeling humbled, i.e., taken down a few notches, less sure of ourselves. Interestingly, we also use "humbled" in almost the opposite situation: after a big win, an award, or a moment of recognition. In those cases, "humbled" signals gratitude, awe, or even disbelief.
That latter usage doesn't sit well with everyone. Some would even say it's incorrect. So what does "humbled" actually mean?
Merriam-Webster's online dictionary has three definitions for the adjective "humble." It can describe someone who is “not arrogant,” or someone who shows respect and deference, as in a “humble apology.” It can also refer to low status, such as a “humble servant," or to something modest and unpretentious, as in “my humble abode.”
The verb "to humble" can mean “to lower in status” or “to abase." Basically, if someone has been humbled, they've been brought down a peg or two. The other meaning of "to humble" is "to cause to feel humble," in which case you've been made to feel meek or modest or maybe not arrogant.
As Bryan Garner notes in the fifth edition of Garner's Modern English Usage, the original idea of saying you're humbled by an award may have been that the person felt unworthy of it. However, Garner goes on to say, "But often this comes across as false modesty, especially because people hear 'humbled' and perceive it as being equivalent to 'honored' or 'cheered' or 'buoyed,' especially when the sentence is uttered with a radiant smile."
Not everyone feels this way though. For more on "humbled," listen to the audio above.
