Lewis & Short

hŭmĭlis, e, adj. [humus; like χαμαλός from χαμαί, on the ground, i. e.], low, lowly, small, slight (class.; esp. freq. in the trop. signif.).

  1. I. Lit.: arbores et vites et ea quae sunt humiliora neque se tollere a terra altius possunt, Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 37; cf.: turrim humilem parvamque fecerant, Caes. B. C. 2, 8, 1 sq.: humilior munitio, id. ib. 3, 63, 2: (naves) humiliores quam quibus in nostro mari uti consuevimus, id. B. G. 5, 1, 2: humiles habitare casas, Verg. E. 2, 29: domus, Hor. C. 3, 1, 22: postes, Ov. M. 8, 639: arcus, id. ib. 3, 30: arae, Val. Fl. 3, 426: virgas humilis mordere salicti, Juv. 11, 67: Forentum, low, situated in the plain, Hor. C. 3, 4, 16; so, Myconos, Ov. M. 7, 463: Italia, Verg. A. 3, 522: humillimo solo aqua diutissime immorata, Just. 2, 1 med.: avi similis, quae circum litora, circum Piscosos scopulos humilis volat aequora juxta, flies low, Verg. A. 4, 255; cf.: decisis humilis pennis, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 50: potest ex deformi humilique corpusculo exire formosus animus ac magnus, small, diminutive, Sen. Ep. 66: brevi atque humili corpore homines, Gell. 19, 13, 3; Curt. 7, 4: humiles Cleonae, little, petty, Ov. M. 6, 417 (in Ptolem. πόλις οὐ μεγάλη): Troja, id. ib. 15, 424: ipse humili designat moenia fossa, i. e. slight, shallow, Verg. A. 7, 157; so, fossa, Tac. A. 1, 61; cf. radix, Plin. Ep. 8, 20, 5.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. As respects rank, birth, fortune, worth, consideration, etc., low, base, mean, humble, obscure, poor, needy, insignificant (cf.: supplex, summissus, demissus, abjectus): ut si parentibus nati sint humilibus, Cic. Lael. 17, 90: humiles nati (shortly after: trivio conceptus et educatus stercore), Phaedr. 1, 27, 2: humiles et obscuri homines, Cic. Div. 1, 40, 88; id. Quint. 31, 95: humillimus homo de plebe, Liv. 3, 19, 9; cf.: humilis in plebe et ideo ignobilis puerpera, Plin. 7, 36, 36, § 121: ne latos fines parare studeant potentioresque humiliores possessionibus expellant, Caes. B. G. 6, 22, 3: humiliores, opp. opulentiores, Hirt. B. G. 8, 51 fin.: hos Suevi vectigales sibi fecerunt ac multo humiliores infirmioresque redegerunt, Caes. B. G. 4, 3 fin.: homines humiles, opp. amplissimi viri, Balb. et Opp. ap. Cic. Att. 9, 8, A, 1: satis superque humilis est, qui, etc., Liv. 3, 53, 9: junge tuis humiles, ambitiose, manus, of the servants, Ov. A. A. 2, 254: civitas ignobilis atque humilis, Caes. B. G. 5, 28, 1: humilem sane relinquunt et minime generosum, ut ita dicam, ortum amicitiae, Cic. Lael. 9, 29: Viridomarus, quem Caesar ex humili loco ad summam dignitatem perduxerat, Caes. B. G. 7, 39, 1: qui cogitationes suas abjecerunt in rem tam humilem atque contemptam, Cic. Lael. 9, 32; cf.: nihil abjectum, nihil humile cogitant, id. Fin. 5, 20, 57: aut nulla aut humili aliqua arte praediti, id. Arch. 5, 10: humiles et sordidae curae, Plin. Ep. 1, 3, 3: rei pictor, Plin. 35, 10, 37, § 120 (dub.; Jan. floridissimus): humilis atque obsoletus vestitus, Nep. Ages. 8: agna, poor, humble, Hor. C. 2, 17, 32: fortuna, Juv. 6, 287: domus, id. 11, 171.
      Hence, subst.: hŭmĭle, is, n., that which is humble or base, a low station: ex humili potens, Hor. C. 3, 30, 12: quales ex humili magna ad vestigia rerum extollit Fortuna, Juv. 3, 39.
      Prov.: Humiles laborant ubi potentes dissident, Phaedr. 1, 30, 1.
      1. 2. Of low, mean language: iambus frequentissimus est in iis, quae demisso atque humili sermone dicuntur. Cic. Or. 58, 196: sermo, Hor. A. P. 229; cf.: neque humilem et abjectam orationem nec nimis altam et exaggeratam probat, Cic. Or. 57, 192: verbum, id. Brut. 79, 274: humilia et vulgaria verba, Quint. 10, 1, 9: translatio, id. 8, 6, 5: si quis sublimia humilibus misceat, id. 8, 3, 60: quae humilia circa res magnas, apta circa minores videntur, id. 8, 3, 18: humile et quotidianum sermonis genus, id. 11, 1, 6: of the author himself: Macer … humilis, i. e. commonplace, id. 10, 1, 87: nil parvum aut humili modo, Nil mortale loquar, Hor. C. 3, 25, 17.
    2. B. Of mind or character, low, mean, base, abject: qui umquam apparitor tam humilis? tam abjectus? Cic. Phil. 2, 32, 82: ut ille tum humilis, ut demissus erat! id. Att. 2, 21, 3: humillimus assentator, Vell. 2, 83, 1: neque nos simus tam humiles, ut quae laudamus inutilia credamus, Quint. 11, 1, 13: privata deduci superbo Non humilis mulier triumpho, Hor. C. 1, 37, 32: succumbere doloribus eosque humili animo imbecilloque ferre miserum est, Cic. Fin. 1, 15, 49: animi, Lucr. 6, 52: si prece et obsecratione humili ac supplici utemur, Cic. Inv. 1, 16, 22; 1, 56 init.; cf.: fracto animo, atque humili aliquem supplicare, id. Planc. 20, 50: humillimae preces, Suet. Vit. Luc.: pavor, Verg. G. 1, 331; cf. metus, Val. Fl. 3, 394.
      Hence, adv.: hŭmĭlĭter, low, deeply.
      1. 1. Lit. (so post-Aug. and very rare): in loco clivoso humilius rami arborum servandisunt, in plano altius, Pall. 3, 13, 3: eadem facta claritate vel obscuritate facientium vel tolluntur altissime vel humillime deprimuntur, very deeply, Plin. Ep. 6, 24, 1.
      2. 2. Trop. (acc. to II. B.), basely, meanly, abjectly, humbly (class.): non est ausus elate et ample loqui, cum humiliter demisseque sentiret, Cic. Tusc. 5, 9, 24: aut servit humiliter, aut superbe dominatur, Liv. 24, 25, 8: servire alicui, id. 45, 32, 5: audacter territas, humiliter placas, Auct. Her. 4, 20, 28: animose paupertatem ferre, humiliter infamiam, Sen. Ep. 120 med.