What does it mean to describe a person, place, or thing as modest? This article will teach you all about how to use the word modest in a sentence. Then, it will provide you with key information that will further your understanding of our word of the day, such as synonyms, antonyms, and translations!

What Does Modest Mean?

According to Dictionary, the word modest is an adjective that means humble, decent, or limited. Something that is modest is the opposite of showy or ostentatious. The pronunciation of the word modest is ˈmɒdɪst, and the adverb form of the word modest is modestly.

How Can We Use Modest in a Sentence?

Modest is a common word, and there are several situations where you might hear it in a sentence. Someone could use modest to talk about a place, a thing, or even a person.

Knowing how to use this word of the day in a sentence can help you incorporate it into your vocabulary. Below, you will find examples of the word modest. Study these examples of the word modest, then see if you can write your own example sentences.

The modest man hated talking about his abilities and preferred to let his work speak for itself.

The women lived within their modest means and always found a way to make ends meet.

They purchased a modest amount of land to build their small farm. They couldn’t wait to build their barn and fill the land with animals.

I could only afford a modest apartment in the city, but I was so excited to get out of the suburbs finally!

We were given a modest budget to throw a team-building event at our company. Unfortunately, our employees were annoyed since the party was less than stellar.

We saw a modest increase in stock prices over the last year but were always worried that the company would fold.

Ten years ago, you could buy a modest house for a modest price. However, a reasonable price today means you’re living in a shack!

While my income was considered a modest salary in New York, it means I’m rich in Iowa!

The play was a modest success but didn’t break through to a Broadway run.

The stuffy woman preferred a modest neckline and would alter all her shirts to ensure they didn’t reveal anything.

Once we had saved enough money, we purchased a modest home to start our family.

What Are Translations of Modest?

Modest is a common word worldwide, not just in American English and British English. If you are traveling or speaking with a person who does not speak English, you can use one of the below translations of modest from Nice Translator.

You might notice that several translations have a similar look and sound to the word modest. When two words in different languages have a similar sound and appearance, they may have the same language of origin or root word. For example, many of the words below that look similar to modest might come from the Latin modestus.

Telugu: నమ్రత
Slovak: skromný
Urdu: معمولی
Swedish: blygsam
German: bescheiden
Basque: linac
Italian: modesto
Ukrainian: скромний
Dutch: bescheiden
Arabic: محتشم
Kannada: ಸಾಧಾರಣ
Portuguese (Portugal): modesto
Hebrew: צָנוּעַ
Polish: skromny
Vietnamese: khiêm tốn
Chinese (Taiwan): 謙虛
Bulgarian: скромен
Amharic: መጠነኛ
Portuguese (Brazil): modesto
Slovenian: skromno
Welsh: gymedrol
Thai: เจียมเนื้อเจียมตัว
Croatian: skroman
Indonesian: sederhana
Malayalam: എളിമയുള്ള
Danish: beskeden
Tamil: சாதாரண
Greek: μετριόφρων
Bengali: বিনয়ী
Latvian: pieticīgs
Hungarian: szerény
Norwegian: beskjeden
Lithuanian: kuklus
Gujarati: વિનમ્ર
Chinese (PRC): 谦虚
Filipino: mababang-loob
Serbian: скроман
Estonian: tagasihoidlik
Russian: скромный
Finnish: vaatimaton
Icelandic: Hóplaus
Catalan: Modest
Malay: sederhana
Japanese: 控えめ
Romanian: modest
French: modeste
Hindi: मामूली
Turkish: mütevazı
Czech: skromný
Spanish: modesto
Korean: 보통의
Swahili: wastani
Marathi: विनम्र

What Are Synonyms of Modest?

Modest has a fairly positive connotation. However, some related words to modest don’t have the same connotation.

If you’re looking to describe something as modest but want a neutral or negative connotation, you can use one of the below synonyms of modest from Power Thesaurus. Which of these synonyms of modest would you use in a positive or negative situation?

bashful
chaste
common
coy
decent
decorous
demure
diffident
economical
fair
humble
inconspicuous
inexpensive
limited
low
lowly
mean
meek
middling
mild
minor
moderate
ordinary
plain
poor
proper
prudish
pure
quiet
reasonable
reserved
restrained
reticent
retiring
scanty
seemly
self-conscious
self-deprecating
self-effacing
sheepish
shy
simple
slight
small
small-scale
timid
timorous
unassertive
unassuming
unexceptional
unobtrusive
unostentatious
unpresuming
unpretentious

What Are Antonyms of Modest?

If someone or something is not modest, they might be ostentatious or showy. To learn several words that you might use as an opposite of the word modest, you can reference these Power Thesaurus.

Some of these have a positive connotation, while other antonyms of modest are negative.

arrogant
assured
attention seeker
audacious
beautiful
boastful
bold
bombastic
brash
conceited
confident
disdainful
egotistic
elaborate
exceptional
extravagant
extreme
eye-catching
fabulous
fantastic
filthy
fine
flamboyant
flashy
gaudy
glorious
grand
great
haughty
immodest
indecent
lofty
magnificent
ostentatious
outrageous
overweening
pompous
presumptuous
pretentious
proud
royal
sassy
saucy
self-important
sensational
showy
slut
smug
smutty
splendid
stuck-up
supercilious
superior
terrific
unlimited
vain
vainglorious

Conclusion

The word modest is an adjective that means humble or understated. People can use modest to describe any noun, including people and inanimate objects. The word modest is fairly positive and is often complementary or neutral. Try using the word modest in a sentence today!

Sources:

Modest Synonyms | Power Thesaurus

Modest Antonyms | Power Thesaurus

Modest Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

Modest | Nice Translator

Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.