diffident
Americanadjective
-
lacking confidence in one's own ability, worth, or fitness; timid; shy.
- Synonyms:
- unassuming, modest, abashed, self-conscious
-
restrained or reserved in manner, conduct, etc.
-
Archaic. distrustful.
adjective
Related Words
See shy 1.
Other Word Forms
- diffidence noun
- diffidently adverb
- diffidentness noun
- nondiffident adjective
- undiffident adjective
Etymology
Origin of diffident
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin diffīdent- (stem of diffīdēns “mistrusting, despairing,” present participle of diffīdere ), equivalent to dif- dif- + fīd- “trust” + -ent- -ent
Explanation
The adjective diffident describes someone who is shy and lacking in self-confidence. If you are shy and have a diffident manner, you should probably not choose one of these professions: substitute teacher, stand-up comic, or lion-tamer. Diffident can describe someone who is reserved and restrained. Some may mistake your diffident manner for coolness or aloofness. Although it may be in your nature to be diffident, you will find it impossible to remain so when you visit my family. They are a big, noisy, outgoing bunch and they will make you join in the fun until you let loose and open up. Don't say you weren't warned!
Vocabulary lists containing diffident
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
In “One of Us,” Elizabeth Day’s shrewd novel of political ambition and personal retribution, the unlikely avenger is a diffident British art historian.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
But the overarching tone, across the board, is oddly diffident.
From Slate • Apr. 25, 2025
But, he was naturally diffident - which worked in his favour when he auditioned to play Dr James Kildare, a medical intern struggling to learn his profession, in NBC's new primetime medical drama.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2025
Not unlike Oldroyd’s sharp debut feature, “Lady Macbeth,” “Eileen” casts a seemingly diffident young woman as the antihero of an unusually cruel liberation story.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2023
Compared to the diffident, incoherent speaker I had seen six months earlier in Southern California, he was unrecognizable.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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.
