modest
/ˈmɑdəst/adjective
modest is spelled M-O-D-E-S-T: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,784th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, modest means “Not bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in modest?
| Letters | 6: M-O-D-E-S-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 11 times per million words; the 6,784th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is modest?
Modest appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,784th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce modest?
- US /ˈmɑdəst/
Modest has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-modest.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of modest
- more modest comparative
- modester comparative
- most modest superlative
- modestest superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does modest mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble.
- 2
Small, moderate in size.
He earns a modest amount of money.
- 3
Pure and delicate from a sense of propriety.
modest thoughts or language
- 4
Intending to avoid the encouraging of sexual attraction in others.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Modest in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | modeste |
| German | bescheiden, maßvoll , klein, gering, moderat |
| Portuguese | modesto , recatado, decente |
| Spanish | modesto, humilde , pequeño, moderado, módico |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does modest come from?
From Middle French modeste, from Latin modestus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).