humble-pie
Dish of contrition
Humble pie is figurative food you eat when forced to admit error or accept humiliation: After his predictions proved wrong, he had to eat humble pie.
The expression comes from "umble pie," a dish made from deer organs fed to servants while nobles ate the choice cuts—though the pun on "humble" transformed both spelling and meaning.
Acknowledgment of personal blame
- crowLarge black corvid
- atonementCompensation for wrongdoing
- amendsCompensation for wrongdoing
- confessionAdmission of wrongdoing
acknowledgment · reparation · retraction · climbdown · backpedaling · backtracking · groveling · contrition
Acknowledge embarrassing error
- swallow prideAccept wounded dignity
- eat one's wordsAcknowledge a mistaken claim
- take backWithdraw previous words
- admit defeatAccept that you've lost
face the music · own up · cap in hand · tail between legs · hat in hand · bow down · kowtow · bend the knee
Being without something
- vanquishedDefeated completely
- beatenHaving lost a contest
- surrenderCease resistance, yield
- capitulationComplete yielding to demands
concession · downfall · setback · comedown · fall from grace · dethroned · toppled · overthrown
Intense shame or embarrassment
- chagrinDistress from wounded pride
- embarrassmentSelf-conscious unease
- shamePainful awareness of failure
- disgraceLoss of honor
dishonor · abashment · red-faced · egg on face · comeuppance · indignity · degradation · loss of face
mea culpa
Acknowledgment of personal blame
confession · acknowledgment · reparation · retraction · climbdown · backpedaling · backtracking · groveling · contrition · remorse
eat crow
Acknowledge embarrassing error
- swallow prideAccept wounded dignity
- eat one's wordsAcknowledge a mistaken claim
- take backWithdraw previous words
admit defeat · face the music · own up · cap in hand · tail between legs · hat in hand · bow down · kowtow · bend the knee · grovel
loss
Being without something
- vanquishedDefeated completely
- beatenHaving lost a contest
- surrenderCease resistance, yield
capitulation · concession · downfall · setback · comedown · fall from grace · dethroned · toppled · overthrown · brought low
mortification
Intense shame or embarrassment
- chagrinDistress from wounded pride
- embarrassmentSelf-conscious unease
- shamePainful awareness of failure
disgrace · dishonor · abashment · red-faced · egg on face · comeuppance · indignity · degradation · loss of face · awkwardness
humble-pievindication
Clearance of blame
triumph · glory · exaltation · laurels · victory lap
humble-piepride
Satisfaction from one's achievements
smugness · self-satisfaction · gloating · boastfulness · swagger
humble, pie, humbly, humbleness, humbler, humblest, humbled, humbling, pies