humble oneself

humble oneself — idiom

1. to willingly admit that you were wrong or that your behaviour was too proud, esp

1.慣用語B2
釋義

to willingly admit that you were wrong or that your behaviour was too proud, especially by apologizing or accepting a lower position than before

例句

Mayor Bilal humbled himself before the voters by admitting his election promises had been unrealistic.

humble + reflexive pronoun + before + someone

The CEO humbled herself before the staff after her mistake cost the company millions.

humble + reflexive pronoun + before + someone

同義詞
  • eat humble pie

    informal equivalent; suggests being forced to apologize publicly after being proven wrong

  • back down

    less formal; focuses on withdrawing a position rather than admitting moral fault

  • make amends

    focuses on repairing the harm done rather than on lowering one's own pride

  • apologize

    more general and direct; 'humble oneself' implies a deeper, more self-critical act

反義詞

文法句型

humble + reflexive pronoun + before + someone/something

humble + reflexive pronoun + by + -ing

用法筆記

Always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject (I humble myself, he humbles himself). The expression conveys a voluntary act of lowering one's status or pride, not forced humiliation. Frequently used in formal speeches, religious contexts, and serious apologies.

常見錯誤

❌He was humbled before the committee.
✅He humbled himself before the committee.
💡'humble oneself' is a voluntary action you do; 'be humbled' means circumstances forced you to feel humble.
❌She humbled down and apologized.
✅She humbled herself and apologized.
💡'humble' is not followed by 'down'; always use the reflexive pronoun.
❌The manager humbled his attitude.
✅The manager humbled himself.
💡'humble' as a verb needs a reflexive object; you cannot 'humble' something else.