1. (

• humble ,
• low ,
• lowly ,
• modest ,
• small

) low or inferior in station or quality; "a humble cottage"; "a lowly parish priest"; "a modest man of the people"; "small beginnings" ;

2. (

• junior-grade ,
• lower-ranking ,
• lowly ,
• petty ,
• secondary ,
• subaltern

) inferior in rank or status; "the junior faculty"; "a lowly corporal"; "petty officialdom"; "a subordinate functionary" ;

3. (

• humble ,
• menial ,
• lowly

) used of unskilled work (especially domestic work) ;

4. (

• base ,
• baseborn ,
• humble ,
• lowly

) of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense); "baseborn wretches with dirty faces"; "of humble (or lowly) birth" ;