modestadj.

Brit.

/ˈmɒdᵻst/, U.S.

/ˈmɑdəst/

Forms: 1500s (1800s Scottish) modeste, 1500s– modest.

Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: French modeste; Latin modestus.

Etymology: < Middle French, French modeste (1370 in sense ‘moderate, free from excess’, 1607 in sense ‘decorous, seemly’, 1611 in Cotgrave in sense ‘reserved in manner, without vanity’) and its etymon classical Latin modestus restrained, temperate, well-behaved, seemly, decorous, unassuming < the same base as moderārī (see moderate v.). Compare Italian modesto (1308), Spanish modesto (14th cent.), Catalan modest (1472), Portuguese modesto (16th cent.). Compare slightly earlier modesty n., modestness n. modestious adj., and slightly later modestious adj.

†1. Avoiding extremes of behaviour; well-conducted, temperate; not harsh or domineering. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > restrained or moderate behaviour > [adjective]

methelyeOE

i-meteOE

methefulOE

attempre1297

measurablec1330

temprea1340

temperatec1380

temperantc1384

attemperatec1386

attemperelc1386

chastea1400

mannered1435

measureda1450

moderatea1450

well-measuredc1450

attempered1474

modest1548

sober1552

measurely1570

temperable1619

contemperate1647

submissive1753

managed1770

self-contained1838

inexplosive1867

1548 T. Cooper Bibliotheca Eliotæ (rev. ed.) Modestus, temperate, well aduised, modeste, that vseth a meane in all his dooynges.

1556 T. Hill tr. B. Cocles Brief Epitomye Phisiognomie sg. E2 The shoulder poyntes flatte and brode, declare that man to be simple, a sparer or niggarde, laboryouse, modeste in all hys doynges, especially in tounge and feadyng [etc.].

1574 E. Hellowes tr. A. de Guevara Familiar Epist. 246 Your Lordship ought to..commaund the ministers of your iustice..that they be milde, modest, and mannerly. For sometimes the sorowful suter doth more feele a rough word they speake, then y^e Iustice they delate.

1582 S. Batman Vppon Bartholome, De Proprietatibus Rerum 880 Which no graue man, modest, honest, valiant, euer professed.

1611 Bible (King James) 2 Macc. iv. 37 The sober and modest behauiour [Gk. τὴν σωϕροσύνην καὶ πολλὴν εὐταξίαν] of him that was dead.

1652 E. Nicholas Papers (1886) I. 320 He seems to be indeed a very modest and discreet person.

a. Of a woman: decorous in manner and conduct; not forward, impudent, or lewd; demure; (of a personal attribute, action, etc.) proper to or distinctive of such a woman. Hence: scrupulously avoiding impropriety or vulgarity in speech or behaviour. (Sometimes applied to men in later use.)

ΘΚΠ

society > morality > virtue > purity > chastity > modesty or decency > [adjective]

well-itowenc1225

mannerlyc1400

pudic1490

pudicala1513

modestiousa1549

modest1550

pudent1558

delicate1634

pudibund1656

pudibundous1656

decent1734

1550 R. Crowley One & Thyrtye Epigrammes sig. Dviii^v All modeste Matrons I truste wyll take my parte As for nice whippets wordes shall not come nye my hert.

a1591 H. Smith Prepar. Mariage 32 He sayd not that she was the wisest,..nor the modestest wife in the world, but the fittest wife for him in the world.

1599 J. Rainolds Overthrow Stage-playes 107 How commeth it to passe then that my vse of the English name should be faultie: where you doe vse the Latin without fault, I trust, and that in the person of modest, chast, Hippolytus?

1607 F. Beaumont Woman Hater v. iii. sig. K2^v Thou woman which wert borne to teach men vertue, Faire, sweet, and modest maid forgiue my thoughts.

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost iv. 310 And by her yeilded, by him best receivd, Yeilded with coy submission, modest pride, And sweet reluctant amorous delay.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics iv, in tr. Virgil Wks. 131 Their modest Appetites, Averse from Venus, fly the nuptial Rites.

1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 154. ⁋1 I am apt to believe (begging your Pardon) that you are still what I my self was once, a queer modest Fellow.

1741 S. Richardson Pamela IV. xvii. 120 Every one, that can give himself the Liberty to say Things that shock a modester Person,..mistakes Courage for Wit.

1781 W. Cowper Expostulation 48 Her women..Forgot the blush that virgin fears impart To modest cheeks, and borrow'd one from art.

1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian x, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. III. 263 A young woman..whose countenance might be termed very modest and pleasing in expression.

1884 Truth 13 Mar. 383/1 Her..modest bearing and unqueenly ways.

a1911 D. G. Phillips Susan Lenox (1917) II. v. 118 A respectable woman's game is to be modest and innocent.

1960 J. F. Lehmann I am my Brother ii. i. 34 Leonard himself sat in modest silence, with lowered eyes.

1982 ‘L. Cody’ Bad Company x. 60 She didn't think she was excessively modest, it was just that there were some things you got used to doing in private.

b. Of a woman's dress: seemly, not ostentatious; sober in colour and style, esp. so as to avoid revealing the figure of the wearer. (Occasionally also applied to men.)

ΘΚΠ

the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > [adjective] > for specific people > for men and women > women > decent

modest1611

society > morality > virtue > purity > chastity > modesty or decency > [adjective] > characterized by modesty > of female attire

modest1611

1611 Bible (King James) 1 Tim. ii. 9 That women adorne themselues in modest apparell [Gk. ἐν καταστολῇ κοσμίῳ] .

1630 T. Dekker Second Pt. Honest Whore sig. L To day She's all in Colours to besot Gallants, Then in modest blacke, To catch the Cittizen.

1700 S. Wesley Epist. Poetry 5 Style is the Dress of Thought; a modest Dress, Neat, but not gaudy, will true Critics please.

1801 J. Barrow Acct. Trav. Interior S. Afr. 1797–8 I. 232 The modest garb of the colii..formed a striking contrast with the gaudy plumage of the others.

1858 H. W. Longfellow Courtship Miles Standish iii. 53 She, the Puritan girl..Making the humble house and the modest apparel of homespun Beautiful with her beauty.

1920 E. Wharton Age of Innocence i. 4 A warm pink..suffused the young slope of her breast to the line where it met a modest tulle tucker fastened with a single gardenia.

1993 N.Y. Times 10 June a4/4 Albanians say the scene was monotonous because of the virtual uniformity of dress in a country that offered modest, dark or white clothing in a few standard models.

†c. Of a part of the body, spec. the genitals: that modesty requires to be covered. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

1634 T. Herbert Relation Some Yeares Trauaile 15 As a couer to their modest parts, they gird themselues with a piece of raw leather, and fasten a square peece..to it.

1693 J. Dryden tr. Persius Satires iv. 51 The depilation of thy modest part.

†d. Conforming to the requirements of decency. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > morality > virtue > purity > chastity > modesty or decency > [adjective] > inoffensive to decency

moralc1390

unlascivious1592

chaste1621

modest1638

family1695

clean1867

1638 T. Herbert Some Yeares Trav. (rev. ed.) 301 Their waist is circled with a peece of Callico, which makes them modest.

a. Having a moderate or humble estimate of one's own abilities or achievements; disinclined to bring oneself into notice; becomingly diffident and unassuming; not bold or forward. Of an action, trait, etc.: proceeding from, indicative of, or accordant with such qualities.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > humility > modesty > [adjective]

simplec1300

measurablec1330

methec1390

murec1390

smallc1405

soleinc1450

timorous1474

modest1561

unbragging1570

unboldened1591

unpresuming1607

bragless1609

unambitious1621

boastless1632

unpompous1656

verecundous1656

sober1659

tender-foreheaded1659

unpragmatical1673

unpretending1681

unpresumptuous1704

unimportant1727

unaspiringa1729

inambitious1729

unassuming1730

unostentatiousa1739

unboastful1744

pretensionless1748

unarrogating1748

uncontending1748

unopinionated1775

unboasting1802

underbearing1802

mousy1812

un-ultra1817

unarrogant1831

low-flying1835

unconceited1838

unpretentious1838

uninflated1861

unvain1863

unbumptious1865

1561 T. Hoby tr. B. Castiglione Courtyer i. sig. E.iii How much more do we take pleaser in a gentilman that is a man at armes, and how much more worthy praise is he if he be modest, of few wordes, and no bragger.

1565 T. Cooper Thesaurus at Modestus Modestus vultu, of modest and sobre countenance.

1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear vii. 204 Resolue me with all modest hast, which way Thou may'st deserue, or they purpose this vsage.

1653 I. Walton Compl. Angler ii. 51 You are so modest, that me thinks I may promise to grant it before it is asked.

a1680 S. Butler Genuine Remains (1759) II. 213 Nothing renders Men modest, but a just Knowledge how to compare themselves with others.

1710 S. Palmer Moral Ess. Prov. 187 Tho' the modestest are not always sure to be paid first, yet an impertinent dun is very odious.

1712 E. Budgell Spectator No. 373. ¶12 When they are thus mixed and blended together, they compose what we endeavour to express when we say a modest Assurance; by which we understand the just Mean between Bashfulness and Impudence.

1748 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 22 Feb. (1932) (modernized text) III. 1106 The more you know, the modester you should be.

1781 W. Cowper Truth 68 He, Christian-like, retreats with modest mien.

1816 W. Scott Antiquary I. vi. 142 A light and modest tap was heard at the parlour door.

1859 Ld. Tennyson Idylls Ded. 17 We see him as he moved, How modest, kindly, all-accomplish'd, wise.

1899 ‘M. Twain’ Man that corrupted Hadleyburg (1900) 105 A little book, merely a little book—could words be modester?

1901 J. Watson Life of Master xxii. 202 Nathanael was a quiet, modest, diffident, questioning person.

1940 J. Buchan Memory Hold-the-Door xi. 269 I maintain that they are fundamentally modest. Their interest in others is a proof of it.

1988 A. Brookner Latecomers xii. 182 A modest man, he could not see that he himself was tall and distinguished.

b. In extended use, applied to things: not obtrusively conspicuous; not inviting attention by elaborate show.Sometimes with a degree of personification.

ΚΠ

1775 R. B. Sheridan Rivals v. iii. 100 Virtue would crown them with an unfading garland of modest, hurtless flowers.

1786 R. Burns Poems 170 Wee, modest, crimson-tippèd flow'r, Thou's met me in an evil hour.

1789 E. Butler Jrnl. 13 Oct. in E. M. Bell Hanwood Papers (1930) 232 A box..with our cloaths arrived a week too late. I regret it as they are admirably made. Are of a deep and modest blue.

1830 J. G. Strutt Sylva Brit. (rev. ed.) 73 Their delicate green changing to modest brown.

a1832 W. C. Bryant Yellow Violet 3 The yellow violet's modest bell Peeps from the last year's leaves below.

1892 Sat. Rev. 10 Dec. 682/1 It is a modest, unobtrusive stone, and makes up so well with diamonds, that [etc.].

1953 ‘N. Blake’ Dreadful Hollow 27 The modest Quaker-grey of the house.

1976 P. de Vries I hear Amer. Swinging vi. 88 It's a modest little wine..and believe me no wine ever had more to be modest about.

4. Of a thing: unpretentious or moderate in size, appearance, style, etc.; (of a sum of money or financial means) limited, not lavish or extensive. Hence, of a person's origins or social circumstances: undistinguished on the social or economic scale.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > moderateness of quantity, amount, or degree > [adjective]

evenlya1200

methefully?c1225

renable?1305

reasonablea1325

measurablec1330

skillwisea1340

moderatea1398

temperate1398

meetlya1400

measurablyc1450

rationablec1475

competent1535

midway1573

modest1582

sober1619

medious1657

slack1662

meeverly1819

low key1941

the mind > emotion > humility > modesty > [adjective] > modest or unpretentious specifically of things

modest1582

lowly1637

submiss1638

verecundiousa1639

unambitious1713

quiet1768

chastea1797

unassuminga1807

unshowy1838

low-keyed1878

low key1897

the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > smallness > [adjective] > not large or moderate

i-metlichc888

singlea1387

meetlya1400

ungreatc1550

modest1582

1582 S. Batman Vppon Bartholome, De Proprietatibus Rerum 189 Modest musicke honestlye taken, reuiueth y^e spirits & quickneth appetite.

a1639 T. Dekker et al. Witch of Edmonton (1658) Epil. 63 Yet I dare not presume, but will not swerve From modest hopes.

1654 R. Whitlock Ζωοτομία 149 We have seen the Pittifull who's, and in short the slender whats are against modest Learning in Religious Division.

1770 O. Goldsmith Deserted Village 140 There..The village preacher's modest mansion rose.

1823 J. Rutter Delineations of Fonthill 7 Surprised by the modest pretensions of the entrance.

1842 C. G. F. Gore Fascination 18 Dominique boasted a modest annuity of about fifty pistoles.

1856 W. M. Thackeray Christmas Bks. (1872) 66 They set up a carriage—the modestest little vehicle conceivable.

1870 C. Dickens Edwin Drood viii. 47 And then I step into my modest share in the concern.

1886 Pall Mall Gaz. 31 July 3/1 For the modest sum of 6d.

1928 E. O'Neill Strange Interlude vi. 195 It [sc. a room] has a proud air of modest prosperity.

1975 J. Clavell Shōgun xliii. 512 The very best in Yokosé, everything brand-new but modest, discreet and unpretentious.

1987 Cornwall Rev. July 2/4 For the beginner it is possible..to get expert tuition with all equipment supplied for a modest sum.

5. With reference to statements, estimates, demands, constraints, etc.: free from exaggeration; moderate, not excessive; maintained within reasonable bounds; not unduly exacting or imposing.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > moderateness of quantity, amount, or degree > [adjective] > specifically of demands, estimates, etc.

reasonable1391

modest1601

1601 R. Johnson tr. G. Botero Trauellers Breuiat 97 Some more modest [It. moderati] in writing affirme, that the Moscouite could leuie 150. thousand horse.

1621 J. Fletcher et al. Trag. of Thierry & Theodoret ii. i. sig. C2 I haue in the relation of my wrongs Bene modest.

1623 T. Scott High-waies of God 35 There is nothing practised in our Church, but that which finds allowance and approbation from the modestest and learnedest of their side.

1652 R. Boyle Wks. (1772) I. p. l In less than a year, of which not the least part was usurped by frequent sicknesses and journies, by furnaces, and by (which is none of the modestest thieves of time) the conversation of young ladies.

1708 J. Addison Present State War 5 During the last four Years, by a modest Computation there have been brought into Brest above six Millions Sterling in Bullion.

1782 W. Cowper Conversation in Poems 257 Held within modest bounds the tide of speech Pursues the course that truth and nature teach.

1792 E. Burke Corr. (1844) III. 370 This is not the less modest and peaceable for being clear, open, and manly.

1814 J. Austen Mansfield Park III. xiv. 267 Forgive me..as soon as you can..and behave as if you could forgive me directly. This is my modest request and expectation.

1892 R. L. Stevenson & L. Osbourne Wrecker vi. 94 And so he rattled on, beyond reach of my modest protestations, blurting out his complicated interests.

1952 C. P. Blacker Eugenics: Galton & After ix. 219 A modest claim..is made..that wastage among favourably-assessed parachutists proved smaller than among those unfavourably assessed.

1981 I. McEwan Comfort of Strangers i. 18 These were modest, achievable tasks, and it comforted her to tick them off as the week progressed.

Compounds

† modest-looked adj. Obsolete rare

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > humility > modesty > [adjective] > in appearance

simplec1390

modest-looked1654

modest-looking1748

quiet-looking1772

1654 E. Gayton Pleasant Notes Don Quixot iii. i. 68 Never trust a modest-lookt Stallion.

modest-looking adj.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > humility > modesty > [adjective] > in appearance

simplec1390

modest-looked1654

modest-looking1748

quiet-looking1772

1748 S. Richardson Clarissa V. xxiv. 207 Why, my little Johanetta Golding, a lively, yet modest-looking girl, is my cousin Montague.

1864 A. McKay Hist. Kilmarnock (ed. 3) 191 A plain, modest-looking structure.

1994 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 20 Oct. 53/1 When transfixed by an unexpected glimpse of something beautiful and when embarked on modest-looking poems of few-syllabled lines.

modest-seeming adj.

ΚΠ

1730 J. Thomson Spring in Seasons 46 Th' inticing smile; the modest-seeming eye.

1886 O. F. Adams Post-laureate Idyls 64 Because the lad was true and brave, And modest seeming, nor was rash of speech, Had Arthur made him of the Table Round.

2000 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 2 Nov. e 8/3 This deceptively modest-seeming book resonates with the author's sweet, ennobling enthusiasm for every natural phenomenon.

modest-sized adj.

ΚΠ

1977 Gramophone Aug. 318/2 A modest-sized two-manual [organ] of only 20 stops.

1995 N. Whittaker Platform Souls (1996) 250 Nose around any modest-sized station and the odds are you'll find the chargeman's office doubles as a basher's club.

Derivatives

ˈmodest-like adj. now rare

ΚΠ

1621 M. Wroth Countesse of Mountgomeries Urania 517 Her modest-like bashfulnes.

1756 M. Calderwood Lett. & Jrnls. (1884) xii. 307 The other two nuns were young, the one a grave-looking, modest-like lass.

1824 S. Ferrier Inheritance II. 367 She's a sweet, modest-like creature.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	modest
释义	modestadj. Brit. /ˈmɒdᵻst/, U.S. /ˈmɑdəst/ Forms: 1500s (1800s Scottish) modeste, 1500s– modest. Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: French modeste; Latin modestus. Etymology: < Middle French, French modeste (1370 in sense ‘moderate, free from excess’, 1607 in sense ‘decorous, seemly’, 1611 in Cotgrave in sense ‘reserved in manner, without vanity’) and its etymon classical Latin modestus restrained, temperate, well-behaved, seemly, decorous, unassuming < the same base as moderārī (see moderate v.). Compare Italian modesto (1308), Spanish modesto (14th cent.), Catalan modest (1472), Portuguese modesto (16th cent.). Compare slightly earlier modesty n., modestness n. modestious adj., and slightly later modestious adj. †1. Avoiding extremes of behaviour; well-conducted, temperate; not harsh or domineering. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > restrained or moderate behaviour > [adjective] methelyeOE i-meteOE methefulOE attempre1297 measurablec1330 temprea1340 temperatec1380 temperantc1384 attemperatec1386 attemperelc1386 chastea1400 mannered1435 measureda1450 moderatea1450 well-measuredc1450 attempered1474 modest1548 sober1552 measurely1570 temperable1619 contemperate1647 submissive1753 managed1770 self-contained1838 inexplosive1867 1548 T. Cooper Bibliotheca Eliotæ (rev. ed.) Modestus, temperate, well aduised, modeste, that vseth a meane in all his dooynges. 1556 T. Hill tr. B. Cocles Brief Epitomye Phisiognomie sg. E2 The shoulder poyntes flatte and brode, declare that man to be simple, a sparer or niggarde, laboryouse, modeste in all hys doynges, especially in tounge and feadyng [etc.]. 1574 E. Hellowes tr. A. de Guevara Familiar Epist. 246 Your Lordship ought to..commaund the ministers of your iustice..that they be milde, modest, and mannerly. For sometimes the sorowful suter doth more feele a rough word they speake, then y^e Iustice they delate. 1582 S. Batman Vppon Bartholome, De Proprietatibus Rerum 880 Which no graue man, modest, honest, valiant, euer professed. 1611 Bible (King James) 2 Macc. iv. 37 The sober and modest behauiour [Gk. τὴν σωϕροσύνην καὶ πολλὴν εὐταξίαν] of him that was dead. View more context for this quotation 1652 E. Nicholas Papers (1886) I. 320 He seems to be indeed a very modest and discreet person. 2. a. Of a woman: decorous in manner and conduct; not forward, impudent, or lewd; demure; (of a personal attribute, action, etc.) proper to or distinctive of such a woman. Hence: scrupulously avoiding impropriety or vulgarity in speech or behaviour. (Sometimes applied to men in later use.) ΘΚΠ society > morality > virtue > purity > chastity > modesty or decency > [adjective] well-itowenc1225 mannerlyc1400 pudic1490 pudicala1513 modestiousa1549 modest1550 pudent1558 delicate1634 pudibund1656 pudibundous1656 decent1734 1550 R. Crowley One & Thyrtye Epigrammes sig. Dviii^v All modeste Matrons I truste wyll take my parte As for nice whippets wordes shall not come nye my hert. a1591 H. Smith Prepar. Mariage 32 He sayd not that she was the wisest,..nor the modestest wife in the world, but the fittest wife for him in the world. 1599 J. Rainolds Overthrow Stage-playes 107 How commeth it to passe then that my vse of the English name should be faultie: where you doe vse the Latin without fault, I trust, and that in the person of modest, chast, Hippolytus? 1607 F. Beaumont Woman Hater v. iii. sig. K2^v Thou woman which wert borne to teach men vertue, Faire, sweet, and modest maid forgiue my thoughts. 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost iv. 310 And by her yeilded, by him best receivd, Yeilded with coy submission, modest pride, And sweet reluctant amorous delay. View more context for this quotation 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics iv, in tr. Virgil Wks. 131 Their modest Appetites, Averse from Venus, fly the nuptial Rites. View more context for this quotation 1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 154. ⁋1 I am apt to believe (begging your Pardon) that you are still what I my self was once, a queer modest Fellow. 1741 S. Richardson Pamela IV. xvii. 120 Every one, that can give himself the Liberty to say Things that shock a modester Person,..mistakes Courage for Wit. 1781 W. Cowper Expostulation 48 Her women..Forgot the blush that virgin fears impart To modest cheeks, and borrow'd one from art. 1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian x, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. III. 263 A young woman..whose countenance might be termed very modest and pleasing in expression. 1884 Truth 13 Mar. 383/1 Her..modest bearing and unqueenly ways. a1911 D. G. Phillips Susan Lenox (1917) II. v. 118 A respectable woman's game is to be modest and innocent. 1960 J. F. Lehmann I am my Brother ii. i. 34 Leonard himself sat in modest silence, with lowered eyes. 1982 ‘L. Cody’ Bad Company x. 60 She didn't think she was excessively modest, it was just that there were some things you got used to doing in private. b. Of a woman's dress: seemly, not ostentatious; sober in colour and style, esp. so as to avoid revealing the figure of the wearer. (Occasionally also applied to men.) ΘΚΠ the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > [adjective] > for specific people > for men and women > women > decent modest1611 society > morality > virtue > purity > chastity > modesty or decency > [adjective] > characterized by modesty > of female attire modest1611 1611 Bible (King James) 1 Tim. ii. 9 That women adorne themselues in modest apparell [Gk. ἐν καταστολῇ κοσμίῳ] . View more context for this quotation 1630 T. Dekker Second Pt. Honest Whore sig. L To day She's all in Colours to besot Gallants, Then in modest blacke, To catch the Cittizen. 1700 S. Wesley Epist. Poetry 5 Style is the Dress of Thought; a modest Dress, Neat, but not gaudy, will true Critics please. 1801 J. Barrow Acct. Trav. Interior S. Afr. 1797–8 I. 232 The modest garb of the colii..formed a striking contrast with the gaudy plumage of the others. 1858 H. W. Longfellow Courtship Miles Standish iii. 53 She, the Puritan girl..Making the humble house and the modest apparel of homespun Beautiful with her beauty. 1920 E. Wharton Age of Innocence i. 4 A warm pink..suffused the young slope of her breast to the line where it met a modest tulle tucker fastened with a single gardenia. 1993 N.Y. Times 10 June a4/4 Albanians say the scene was monotonous because of the virtual uniformity of dress in a country that offered modest, dark or white clothing in a few standard models. †c. Of a part of the body, spec. the genitals: that modesty requires to be covered. Obsolete. ΚΠ 1634 T. Herbert Relation Some Yeares Trauaile 15 As a couer to their modest parts, they gird themselues with a piece of raw leather, and fasten a square peece..to it. 1693 J. Dryden tr. Persius Satires iv. 51 The depilation of thy modest part. †d. Conforming to the requirements of decency. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ society > morality > virtue > purity > chastity > modesty or decency > [adjective] > inoffensive to decency moralc1390 unlascivious1592 chaste1621 modest1638 family1695 clean1867 1638 T. Herbert Some Yeares Trav. (rev. ed.) 301 Their waist is circled with a peece of Callico, which makes them modest. 3. a. Having a moderate or humble estimate of one's own abilities or achievements; disinclined to bring oneself into notice; becomingly diffident and unassuming; not bold or forward. Of an action, trait, etc.: proceeding from, indicative of, or accordant with such qualities. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > humility > modesty > [adjective] simplec1300 measurablec1330 methec1390 murec1390 smallc1405 soleinc1450 timorous1474 modest1561 unbragging1570 unboldened1591 unpresuming1607 bragless1609 unambitious1621 boastless1632 unpompous1656 verecundous1656 sober1659 tender-foreheaded1659 unpragmatical1673 unpretending1681 unpresumptuous1704 unimportant1727 unaspiringa1729 inambitious1729 unassuming1730 unostentatiousa1739 unboastful1744 pretensionless1748 unarrogating1748 uncontending1748 unopinionated1775 unboasting1802 underbearing1802 mousy1812 un-ultra1817 unarrogant1831 low-flying1835 unconceited1838 unpretentious1838 uninflated1861 unvain1863 unbumptious1865 1561 T. Hoby tr. B. Castiglione Courtyer i. sig. E.iii How much more do we take pleaser in a gentilman that is a man at armes, and how much more worthy praise is he if he be modest, of few wordes, and no bragger. 1565 T. Cooper Thesaurus at Modestus Modestus vultu, of modest and sobre countenance. 1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear vii. 204 Resolue me with all modest hast, which way Thou may'st deserue, or they purpose this vsage. View more context for this quotation 1653 I. Walton Compl. Angler ii. 51 You are so modest, that me thinks I may promise to grant it before it is asked. View more context for this quotation a1680 S. Butler Genuine Remains (1759) II. 213 Nothing renders Men modest, but a just Knowledge how to compare themselves with others. 1710 S. Palmer Moral Ess. Prov. 187 Tho' the modestest are not always sure to be paid first, yet an impertinent dun is very odious. 1712 E. Budgell Spectator No. 373. ¶12 When they are thus mixed and blended together, they compose what we endeavour to express when we say a modest Assurance; by which we understand the just Mean between Bashfulness and Impudence. 1748 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 22 Feb. (1932) (modernized text) III. 1106 The more you know, the modester you should be. 1781 W. Cowper Truth 68 He, Christian-like, retreats with modest mien. 1816 W. Scott Antiquary I. vi. 142 A light and modest tap was heard at the parlour door. 1859 Ld. Tennyson Idylls Ded. 17 We see him as he moved, How modest, kindly, all-accomplish'd, wise. 1899 ‘M. Twain’ Man that corrupted Hadleyburg (1900) 105 A little book, merely a little book—could words be modester? 1901 J. Watson Life of Master xxii. 202 Nathanael was a quiet, modest, diffident, questioning person. 1940 J. Buchan Memory Hold-the-Door xi. 269 I maintain that they are fundamentally modest. Their interest in others is a proof of it. 1988 A. Brookner Latecomers xii. 182 A modest man, he could not see that he himself was tall and distinguished. b. In extended use, applied to things: not obtrusively conspicuous; not inviting attention by elaborate show.Sometimes with a degree of personification. ΚΠ 1775 R. B. Sheridan Rivals v. iii. 100 Virtue would crown them with an unfading garland of modest, hurtless flowers. 1786 R. Burns Poems 170 Wee, modest, crimson-tippèd flow'r, Thou's met me in an evil hour. 1789 E. Butler Jrnl. 13 Oct. in E. M. Bell Hanwood Papers (1930) 232 A box..with our cloaths arrived a week too late. I regret it as they are admirably made. Are of a deep and modest blue. 1830 J. G. Strutt Sylva Brit. (rev. ed.) 73 Their delicate green changing to modest brown. a1832 W. C. Bryant Yellow Violet 3 The yellow violet's modest bell Peeps from the last year's leaves below. 1892 Sat. Rev. 10 Dec. 682/1 It is a modest, unobtrusive stone, and makes up so well with diamonds, that [etc.]. 1953 ‘N. Blake’ Dreadful Hollow 27 The modest Quaker-grey of the house. 1976 P. de Vries I hear Amer. Swinging vi. 88 It's a modest little wine..and believe me no wine ever had more to be modest about. 4. Of a thing: unpretentious or moderate in size, appearance, style, etc.; (of a sum of money or financial means) limited, not lavish or extensive. Hence, of a person's origins or social circumstances: undistinguished on the social or economic scale. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > moderateness of quantity, amount, or degree > [adjective] evenlya1200 methefully?c1225 renable?1305 reasonablea1325 measurablec1330 skillwisea1340 moderatea1398 temperate1398 meetlya1400 measurablyc1450 rationablec1475 competent1535 midway1573 modest1582 sober1619 medious1657 slack1662 meeverly1819 low key1941 the mind > emotion > humility > modesty > [adjective] > modest or unpretentious specifically of things modest1582 lowly1637 submiss1638 verecundiousa1639 unambitious1713 quiet1768 chastea1797 unassuminga1807 unshowy1838 low-keyed1878 low key1897 the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > smallness > [adjective] > not large or moderate i-metlichc888 singlea1387 meetlya1400 ungreatc1550 modest1582 1582 S. Batman Vppon Bartholome, De Proprietatibus Rerum 189 Modest musicke honestlye taken, reuiueth y^e spirits & quickneth appetite. a1639 T. Dekker et al. Witch of Edmonton (1658) Epil. 63 Yet I dare not presume, but will not swerve From modest hopes. 1654 R. Whitlock Ζωοτομία 149 We have seen the Pittifull who's, and in short the slender whats are against modest Learning in Religious Division. 1770 O. Goldsmith Deserted Village 140 There..The village preacher's modest mansion rose. 1823 J. Rutter Delineations of Fonthill 7 Surprised by the modest pretensions of the entrance. 1842 C. G. F. Gore Fascination 18 Dominique boasted a modest annuity of about fifty pistoles. 1856 W. M. Thackeray Christmas Bks. (1872) 66 They set up a carriage—the modestest little vehicle conceivable. 1870 C. Dickens Edwin Drood viii. 47 And then I step into my modest share in the concern. 1886 Pall Mall Gaz. 31 July 3/1 For the modest sum of 6d. 1928 E. O'Neill Strange Interlude vi. 195 It [sc. a room] has a proud air of modest prosperity. 1975 J. Clavell Shōgun xliii. 512 The very best in Yokosé, everything brand-new but modest, discreet and unpretentious. 1987 Cornwall Rev. July 2/4 For the beginner it is possible..to get expert tuition with all equipment supplied for a modest sum. 5. With reference to statements, estimates, demands, constraints, etc.: free from exaggeration; moderate, not excessive; maintained within reasonable bounds; not unduly exacting or imposing. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > moderateness of quantity, amount, or degree > [adjective] > specifically of demands, estimates, etc. reasonable1391 modest1601 1601 R. Johnson tr. G. Botero Trauellers Breuiat 97 Some more modest [It. moderati] in writing affirme, that the Moscouite could leuie 150. thousand horse. 1621 J. Fletcher et al. Trag. of Thierry & Theodoret ii. i. sig. C2 I haue in the relation of my wrongs Bene modest. 1623 T. Scott High-waies of God 35 There is nothing practised in our Church, but that which finds allowance and approbation from the modestest and learnedest of their side. 1652 R. Boyle Wks. (1772) I. p. l In less than a year, of which not the least part was usurped by frequent sicknesses and journies, by furnaces, and by (which is none of the modestest thieves of time) the conversation of young ladies. 1708 J. Addison Present State War 5 During the last four Years, by a modest Computation there have been brought into Brest above six Millions Sterling in Bullion. 1782 W. Cowper Conversation in Poems 257 Held within modest bounds the tide of speech Pursues the course that truth and nature teach. 1792 E. Burke Corr. (1844) III. 370 This is not the less modest and peaceable for being clear, open, and manly. 1814 J. Austen Mansfield Park III. xiv. 267 Forgive me..as soon as you can..and behave as if you could forgive me directly. This is my modest request and expectation. View more context for this quotation 1892 R. L. Stevenson & L. Osbourne Wrecker vi. 94 And so he rattled on, beyond reach of my modest protestations, blurting out his complicated interests. 1952 C. P. Blacker Eugenics: Galton & After ix. 219 A modest claim..is made..that wastage among favourably-assessed parachutists proved smaller than among those unfavourably assessed. 1981 I. McEwan Comfort of Strangers i. 18 These were modest, achievable tasks, and it comforted her to tick them off as the week progressed. Compounds † modest-looked adj. Obsolete rare ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > humility > modesty > [adjective] > in appearance simplec1390 modest-looked1654 modest-looking1748 quiet-looking1772 1654 E. Gayton Pleasant Notes Don Quixot iii. i. 68 Never trust a modest-lookt Stallion. modest-looking adj. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > humility > modesty > [adjective] > in appearance simplec1390 modest-looked1654 modest-looking1748 quiet-looking1772 1748 S. Richardson Clarissa V. xxiv. 207 Why, my little Johanetta Golding, a lively, yet modest-looking girl, is my cousin Montague. 1864 A. McKay Hist. Kilmarnock (ed. 3) 191 A plain, modest-looking structure. 1994 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 20 Oct. 53/1 When transfixed by an unexpected glimpse of something beautiful and when embarked on modest-looking poems of few-syllabled lines. modest-seeming adj. ΚΠ 1730 J. Thomson Spring in Seasons 46 Th' inticing smile; the modest-seeming eye. 1886 O. F. Adams Post-laureate Idyls 64 Because the lad was true and brave, And modest seeming, nor was rash of speech, Had Arthur made him of the Table Round. 2000 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 2 Nov. e 8/3 This deceptively modest-seeming book resonates with the author's sweet, ennobling enthusiasm for every natural phenomenon. modest-sized adj. ΚΠ 1977 Gramophone Aug. 318/2 A modest-sized two-manual [organ] of only 20 stops. 1995 N. Whittaker Platform Souls (1996) 250 Nose around any modest-sized station and the odds are you'll find the chargeman's office doubles as a basher's club. Derivatives ˈmodest-like adj. now rare ΚΠ 1621 M. Wroth Countesse of Mountgomeries Urania 517 Her modest-like bashfulnes. 1756 M. Calderwood Lett. & Jrnls. (1884) xii. 307 The other two nuns were young, the one a grave-looking, modest-like lass. 1824 S. Ferrier Inheritance II. 367 She's a sweet, modest-like creature. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < adj.1548
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