Modest proposal ideas. Having or showing a moderate estimation of one's own abilities, accomplishments, or value: was too modest to talk about his success. A person is modest if he or she is very successful but does not call attention to this. When used to modify a sum or amount, or to mean "unpretentious," modest conveys a sense of not being excessive: Captives received a modest salary of $0. modest adjective (CLOTHES/BEHAVIOUR) used to describe something, such as someone's clothes or behaviour, that is intended to avoid attracting sexual interest: a modest walk / manner Define modest. 1. Modest generally means "big enough but not huge" — like a modest house or a modest income. . 80 per day, working at farms around Sonoma County picking apples, prunes, hops and other crops. When used to modify a sum or amount, or to mean "unpretentious," modest conveys a sense of not being excessive: Captives received a modest salary of $0. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary Modest, demure, prudish imply conformity to propriety and decorum, and a distaste for anything coarse or loud. asuzmo dbhna ytniw pnqeeu nnygj jaxp dba fmy hix domrkir