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or presumptious; rather retiring than pushing one's self forward; not obstructive; as, a modest youth; a modest man.

In a modest manner.

The quality or state of being modest; that lowly temper which accompanies a moderate estimate of one's own worth and importance; absence of self-assertion, arrogance, and presumption; humility respecting one's own merit.

Not modest; wanting in the reserve or restraint which decorum and decency require; indecent; indelicate; obscene; lewd; as, immodest persons, behavior, words, pictures, etc. Immodest deeds you hinder to be wrought, But we proscribe the least immodest thought. Dryden.

In an immodest manner.

Want of modesty, delicacy, or decent reserve; indecency. "A piece of immodesty." Pope.

Modest to excess; bashful. -- O"ver*mod"est*ly, adv.

fear of approaching danger; agitated; disturbed; as, an alarmed neighborhood; an alarmed modesty. The white pavilions rose and fell On the alarmed air. Longfellow.

nying, a principal or greater thing, though not necessary to it, as a portico to a house. Modesty is the appendage of sobriety. Jer. Taylor.

Very modest, or modest excess; constitutionally disposed to shrink from public notice; indicating extreme or excessive modesty; shy; as, a bashful person, action, expression.

That which gives notice of danger. Modest doubt is called The beacon of the wise. Shak. Beacon fire, a signal fire.

To mock; to ridicule. Bemock the modest moon. Shak.

To become suffused with red in the cheeks, as from a sense of shame, modesty, or confusion; to become red from such cause, as the cheeks or face. To the nuptial bower I led her blushing like the morn. Milton. In the presence of the shameless and unblushing, the young offender is ashamed to blush. Buckminster. He would…

A modest girl. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

ad sense, too forward; taking undue liberties; over assuming or confident; lacking proper modesty or restraint; rude; impudent. Thou art too wild, too rude and bold of voice. Shak.

Somewhat impudent; lacking modesty; as, a bold-faced woman. I have seen enough to confute all the bold-faced atheists of this age. Bramhall.

h; to benefit; to give in addition. [Obs.] And I will boot thee with what gift beside Thy modesty can beg. Shak.

Impudent; immodest; shameless; having a front like brass; as, a brazen countenance. Brazen age. (a) (Myth.) The age of war and lawlessness which succeeded the silver age. (b) (Archæol.) See under Bronze. -- Brazen sea (Jewish Antiq.), a large laver of brass, placed in Solomon's temple for the use of the priests.…

ought and act; innocent; free from lewdness and obscenity, or indecency in act or speech; modest; as, a chaste mind; chaste eyes.

To curtail; to cut short. All my reports go with the modest truth; No more nor clipped, but so. Shak. In London they clip their words after one manner about the court, another in the city, and a third in the suburbs. Swift.