humility
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humility
An attitude of modesty and restraint that comes from awareness of one's own limits and weaknesses, often in the face of something greater or an authority.
Er nahm den Preis mit großer Demut entgegen und dankte seinem gesamten Team.
He accepted the award with great humility and thanked his entire team.
'Die Demut' (humility) belongs to the word family of the adjective 'demütig' (humble). If you know that 'demütig' means 'humble', you can more easily work out the meaning of the noun.
Er ist ein sehr demütiger Mensch, obwohl er so erfolgreich ist.
He is a very humble person, even though he is so successful.
'Demut' (humility) is often used with certain verbs. Typical phrases are 'Demut zeigen' (to show humility), 'etwas mit Demut annehmen' (to accept something with humility), or 'Demut vor jemandem/etwas haben' (to have humility before someone/something).
Angesichts der Schönheit der Natur empfand sie große Demut.
Faced with the beauty of nature, she felt great humility.
The word 'Demut' (humility) has an elevated, often philosophical or religious connotation. It describes a deep and serious form of modesty and is not used for everyday situations.
In seiner Autobiografie schreibt er über den Weg zu mehr Demut im Leben.
In his autobiography, he writes about the path toward greater humility in life.
modesty
Demut and Bescheidenheit (modesty) can both keep someone from highlighting their own achievements. Demut additionally rests on an awareness of one's own limitations in the face of a greater task or authority. Bescheidenheit mainly concerns restrained behavior and modest personal demands.
Mit Demut nahm die Ärztin die große Verantwortung ihrer neuen Aufgabe an.
The doctor accepted the great responsibility of her new task with humility.
Mit Bescheidenheit sprach die Ärztin nach der Ehrung kaum über ihren eigenen Erfolg.
After the award ceremony, the doctor hardly spoke about her own success, out of modesty.
