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Inferior vs Humble - What's the difference?

inferior | humble |

As adjectives the difference between inferior and humble

is that inferior is of lower quality while humble is near the ground; not high or lofty; not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming; as, a humble cottage or humble can be hornless.

As a noun inferior

is a person of lower stature to another.

As a verb humble is

to bring low; to reduce the power, independence, or exaltation of; to lower; to abase; to humiliate.

inferior

English

Alternative forms

* inferiour (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • of lower quality
    • Anna had always felt inferior to her brother due to poor school grades.
  • * Dryden
    • Whether they are equal or inferior to my other poems, an author is the most improper judge.
  • of lower rank
    • an inferior officer
  • located below
  • # (typography) Printed in subscript.
  • an inferior figure or letter
  • (botany) Situated below some other organ; said of a calyx when free from the ovary, and therefore below it, or of an ovary with an adherent and therefore inferior calyx.
  • (botany) On the side of a flower which is next to the bract; anterior.
  • (astronomy) Nearer to the Sun than the Earth is.
    • the inferior''' or interior planets; an '''inferior conjunction of Mercury or Venus
  • (astronomy) Below the horizon.
    • the inferior part of a meridian

    Usage notes

    (term) and (superior) are generally followed by (to); (than) is seen sometimes, but is viewed as wrong.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Antonyms

    * superior

    Coordinate terms

    *

    Related terms

    * inferiority

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a person of lower stature to another
    • As you are my inferior , I can tell you to do anything I want.

    Antonyms

    * superior

    External links

    * * *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    humble

    English

    (Webster 1913)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) . See homage, and compare chameleon, humiliate.

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Near the ground; not high or lofty; not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming; as, a humble cottage.
    • Thy humble nest built on the ground. -Cowley.
  • Thinking lowly of oneself; claiming little for oneself; not proud, arrogant, or assuming; modest.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=June 28 , author=Jamie Jackson , title=Wimbledon 2012: Lukas Rosol shocked by miracle win over Rafael Nadal , work=the Guardian citation , page= , passage=Rosol's 65 winners to Nadal's 41 was one of the crucial statistics in the 3hr 18min match that ended in a 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 triumph labelled a "miracle" by Rosol, who was humble enough to offer commiserations to Nadal.}}
    God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble . Jas. iv. 6.
    She should be humble who would please. -Prior.
    Without a humble imitation of the divine Author of our . . . religion we can never hope to be a happy nation. -Washington.
    Synonyms
    * See also
    Derived terms
    * humble plant * eat humble pie
    Related terms
    * humbleness * humiliate * humiliation * humility

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To bring low; to reduce the power, independence, or exaltation of; to lower; to abase; to humiliate.
    • Here, take this purse, thou whom the heaven's plagues have humbled to all strokes. -Shak.
    The genius which humbled six marshals of France. -Macaulay.
  • To make humble or lowly in mind; to abase the pride or arrogance of; to reduce the self-sufficiency of; to make meek and submissive; -- often used reflexively.
    • Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you. 1 Pet. Ch 5: v. 6.
    Derived terms
    * humbler (agent noun)
    Synonyms
    * abase, lower, depress, humiliate, mortify, disgrace, degrade

    Etymology 2

    Compare hummel.

    Adjective

    (-)
  • hornless
    • humble cattle

    External links

    * * ----