Dictionary

modestly en · ADV

Etymology

Etymology tree English modest Middle English -ly English -ly English modestly From modest + -ly.

Meanings

1. In a modest manner; with humility.
   • An hour later, Trump and Starmer were gathered in the modestly named Donald J Trump Ballroom for the press conference proper. 2025 July 28, John Crace, “Sidekick Starmer can’t get a word in as The Donald dominates world’s most one-sided double act”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 30 Jul 2025:
   • The man bowed modestly and left the dinner table.
2. To a small degree.
   • One of several factors to his success this election was modestly boosting his support among men, a shift concentrated among younger voters, according to AP VoteCast, survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide. 2024 November 30, Christine Fernando, “Emboldened ‘manosphere’ accelerates threats and demeaning language toward women after US election”, in Associated Press, archived from the original on 05 Dec 2024:
   • These new shuttlelike craft might modestly reduce the cost of getting to low earth orbit. 2013, Harry L. Shipman, Space 2000: Meeting the Challenge of a New Era, page 55:

Forms

Synonyms

decorously · sort of · just · morally · mildly · hardly · duteously · a smidgen · becomingly · continently · low-key · deservingly · somewhat · worthily · kinda · mildly · faintly · meekly · humbly · imperceptibly · a smidgeon · kind of · chastely · correctly · virtuously · slightly · dutifully · sorta · decently · modestly · nearly · a tad · meritoriously · nobly · a trifle · a bit · only just · scarcely · a mite · slightly · marginally · righteously · somewhat · rightly · kinda sorta · chastely · modestly · a little bit · closely · sorta kinda · a touch · right-mindedly · a little · barely

Translations (23)

es modestamente (in a modest manner) · ml എളിമയോടെ (in a modest manner) · gl modestamente (in a modest manner) · pt modestamente (in a modest manner) · cmn 適度地 /适度地 (in a modest manner) · fr modestement (in a modest manner) · cmn 謙虛地 /谦虚地 (in a modest manner) · cmn 審慎地 /审慎地 (in a modest manner) · la modestē (in a modest manner) · eo modeste (in a modest manner) · nl bescheiden (in a modest manner) · ru скро́мно (in a modest manner) · cmn 端莊地 /端庄地 (in a modest manner) · cmn 簡樸地 /简朴地 (in a modest manner) · is með kurt og pí (in a modest manner) · hy համեստորեն (in a modest manner) · hu szerényen (in a modest manner) · it modestamente (in a modest manner) · mk скромно (in a modest manner) · fi vaatimattomasti (in a modest manner) · cmn 謙恭地 /谦恭地 (in a modest manner) · ca modestament (in a modest manner) · hi सविनय (in a modest manner)