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.
restraint / reluctance
'die Zurückhaltung' and 'die Demut' both have to do with someone not putting themselves at the center of attention. 'Zurückhaltung' mainly describes cautious behavior: you do not say everything right away, do not show feelings strongly, or wait and see. 'Demut' is more of an inner attitude. A person recognizes their limits and does not see themselves as more important than others or than something greater. Learners may confuse the words because both seem quiet and modest. But 'Zurückhaltung' is seen in behavior, while 'Demut' says more about a person's attitude.
Der Arzt sprach mit Demut über die Grenzen der Medizin.
The doctor spoke with humility about the limits of medicine.
Nach dem Streit zeigte sie im Gespräch große Zurückhaltung.
After the argument, she showed great restraint in the conversation.