When used to modify a sum or amount, or to mean "unpretentious," modest conveys a sense of not being excessive: Captives received a modest salary of $0.80 per day, working at farms around …

MODEST definition: having or showing a moderate or humble estimate of one's merits, importance, etc.; free from vanity, egotism, boastfulness, or great pretensions. See examples of modest used in a …

modest adjective (CLOTHES/BEHAVIOUR) used to describe something, such as someone's clothes or behaviour, that is intended to avoid attracting sexual interest: a modest walk / manner

A person is modest if he or she is very successful but does not call attention to this. Modest generally means "big enough but not huge" — like a modest house or a modest income.

Define modest. modest synonyms, modest pronunciation, modest translation, English dictionary definition of modest. adj. 1. Having or showing a moderate estimation of one's own abilities, …

Definition of modest adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Oct 8, 2025 · modest (comparative more modest or modester, superlative most modest or modestest) Not bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble. synonyms, …

Modest, demure, prudish imply conformity to propriety and decorum, and a distaste for anything coarse or loud. Modest implies a becoming shyness, sobriety, and proper behavior: a modest, self …

There are nine meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective modest, three of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Moderate or limited in size, quantity, or range; not extreme: a modest price; a newspaper with a modest circulation. [Latin modestus; see med- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] The American …