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Synonyms

bashful

American  
[bash-fuhl] / ˈbæʃ fəl /

adjective

  1. uncomfortably diffident and easily embarrassed; shy; timid.

    Synonyms:
    modest, abashed

  2. indicative of, accompanied by, or proceeding from bashfulness.

bashful British  
/ ˈbæʃfʊl /

adjective

  1. disposed to attempt to avoid notice through shyness or modesty; diffident; timid

  2. indicating or characterized by shyness or modesty

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See shy 1.

Other Word Forms

  • bashfully adverb
  • bashfulness noun
  • overbashful adjective
  • overbashfully adverb
  • overbashfulness noun
  • unbashful adjective
  • unbashfully adverb
  • unbashfulness noun

Etymology

Origin of bashful

First recorded in 1540–50; (a)bash + -ful

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He gazed at Javier, saw that bashful sincerity on his face, and knew he wouldn’t trade it for anything.

From Literature

We talk to flashy butterflies and bashful moths.

From Literature

I keep hoping to discover that he’s dying to see me, and I’m in raptures when I notice his bashful attempts.

From Literature

I was mostly joking, but he pulled back, bashful.

From Literature

He smiled at Yossarian wanly, looking frail and exceptionally young and bashful in the bulky dungeon of his earphones, hat, throat mike, flak suit and parachute.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.