Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Modest \Mod"est\, a. [F. modeste, L. modestus, fr. modus
   measure. See {Mode}.]
   1. Restraining within due limits of propriety; not forward,
      bold, boastful, or presumptious; rather retiring than
      pushing one's self forward; not obstructive; as, a modest
      youth; a modest man.

   2. Observing the proprieties of the sex; not unwomanly in act
      or bearing; free from undue familiarity, indecency, or
      lewdness; decent in speech and demeanor; -- said of a
      woman.

            Mrs. Ford, the honest woman, the modest wife.
                                                  --Shak.

            The blushing beauties of a modest maid. --Dryden.

   3. Evincing modestly in the actor, author, or speaker; not
      showing presumption; not excessive or extreme; moderate;
      as, a modest request; modest joy.

   Syn: Reserved; unobtrusive; diffident; bashful; coy; shy;
        decent; becoming; chaste; virtuous.

Source : WordNet®

modest
     adj 1: marked by simplicity; having a humble opinion of yourself;
            "a modest apartment"; "too modest to wear his medals"
            [ant: {immodest}]
     2: not large but sufficient in size or amount; "a modest
        salary"; "modest inflation"; "helped in my own small way"
        [syn: {small}]
     3: free from pomp or affectation; "comfortable but modest
        cottages"; "a simple rectangular brick building"; "a
        simple man with simple tastes"
     4: not offensive to sexual mores in conduct or appearance [ant:
         {immodest}]
     5: low or inferior in station or quality; "a humble cottage";
        "a lowly parish priest"; "a modest man of the people";
        "small beginnings" [syn: {humble}, {low}, {lowly}, {small}]
     6: humble in spirit or manner; suggesting retiring mildness or
        even cowed submissiveness; "meek and self-effacing" [syn:
        {meek}, {mild}]
     7: limited in size or scope; "a small business"; "a newspaper
        with a modest circulation"; "small-scale plans"; "a
        pocket-size country" [syn: {minor}, {small}, {small-scale},
         {pocket-size}, {pocket-sized}]
     8: free from ostentation or pretension; "the restrained
        elegance of the room" [syn: {restrained}, {unostentatious}]