Vocabulary – choose the word that is opposite in meaning to humble.

Introduction / Context:
This question checks basic English vocabulary, specifically your understanding of antonyms. The target word is humble, a common adjective used to describe people who do not show pride and do not think that they are more important than others. The task is to choose the word that is opposite in meaning, which is an essential skill in many competitive English exams because it shows how well you understand shades of meaning and word relationships.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The key word is humble, which describes a modest and unassuming person.
All answer choices are adjectives related in some way to personality or status.
Exactly one option should express the opposite attitude to humility.
The question is about meaning in ordinary social contexts, not rare technical usage.

Concept / Approach:
Humble generally suggests low self importance, readiness to admit limitations, and lack of arrogance. Therefore, the antonym should describe someone who has an excessively high opinion of himself or herself, who behaves proudly or showily. Words such as arrogant, conceited, or boastful fit that description. In contrast, words like modest, lowly, and unassuming are close in meaning to humble rather than opposite. The correct choice is the one that clearly expresses pride and self importance instead of modesty.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that humble describes a person who does not brag and who behaves modestly. Step 2: Decide that the opposite idea must be connected with pride, overconfidence, or showing off achievements. Step 3: Examine each option and label it roughly as similar, neutral, or opposite in meaning. Step 4: Notice that modest, lowly, and down to earth all describe people who are simple and not proud, so they are closer to humble than to its opposite. Step 5: Recognise that arrogant describes someone who thinks he or she is better than others and behaves in a proud or rude way, which is the clear opposite of humble.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can check the choice by using the words in short sentences. A humble leader listens to everyone and avoids showing off. An arrogant leader does not listen and speaks as if others do not matter. If we try to substitute other choices, such as A lowly worker or A down to earth leader, we see that these are still close to humble in tone and do not feel opposite. Dictionary definitions also support this contrast: humble is linked with modest, while arrogant is linked with proud and overbearing. This confirms that arrogant is the strongest and most accurate antonym in the list.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A modest is a near synonym of humble, since both describe people who do not show off or exaggerate their importance.
Option B lowly suggests low rank or status and often carries a sense of humility rather than pride, so it is not an opposite.
Option D down to earth describes someone practical and realistic, usually with a humble attitude, which again is not opposite in meaning.
Option E unassuming means not drawing attention to oneself, another positive quality linked to humility, not its reverse.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to confuse lowly or down to earth with negative traits. However, in vocabulary questions, you must focus on the specific meaning of humble, not on whether you personally like a quality. Another pitfall is selecting a word that feels emotionally stronger without checking whether it is really opposite in meaning. Always test possible answers in simple comparison sentences such as He is humble but she is blank to see whether the contrast is clear.

Final Answer:
The word that is opposite in meaning to humble is arrogant.