- not very large, expensive, important, etc.
- modest improvements/reforms
- He charged a relatively modest fee.
- She grew up in a modest little house in the suburbs.
- The research was carried out on a modest scale.
Extra Examples- He is looking to improve on his relatively modest achievements so far.
- Our requirements seem fairly modest.
- The new homes are modest in scale, but very comfortable.
- The FTSE staged a modest recovery to be 6.5 points down.
- There has been a modest improvement in the situation.
- They live in modest comfort.
- a modest aim/achievement/ambition/goal/success
- a modest contribution/expenditure/fee/gain/investment/outlay/profit/sum
- a modest size/amount/quantity/scale/share/proportion
- modest premises
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- in
Definitions on the go
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- (approving) not talking much about your own abilities or possessions
- She's very modest about her success.
- You're too modest!
Extra ExamplesTopics Personal qualitiesb2- He is modest about his achievements.
- She would be falsely modest not to acknowledge that she had come a very long way since those early days.
- Don't be so modest! You're a very talented player.
- He was a quiet, modest man.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- remain
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- about
- (of people, especially women, or their clothes) shy about showing much of the body; not intended to attract attention, especially in a sexual way synonym demure
- a modest dress
Word Originmid 16th cent.: from French modeste, from Latin modestus ‘keeping due measure’, related to modus ‘measure’.
Check pronunciation:
modest