sheepishly

[ shee-pish-lee ]

adverb

1. in an embarrassed or bashful fashion:

   She sheepishly glanced around, hoping no one had noticed.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sheepishly¹

sheepish ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

That’s why he took a month to return a call from a source alerting him to the Viet America contracts — “I almost missed this tip, actually,” he sheepishly admitted.

From Los Angeles Times

“That too,” he grinned sheepishly.

From Los Angeles Times

It didn’t seem like a difficult question: How would John Wilson describe “How to With John Wilson”? But after a long pause, the 37-year-old filmmaker chuckles sheepishly, defeated.

From Los Angeles Times

“I idolized both of my parents and wanted their approval,” she says, slightly sheepishly, noting that Roger and her mother, Mel Clark, divorced when she was young.

From Los Angeles Times

“Later I asked him why he would print his real phone number in a book. He looked down, kind of sheepishly, and said, ‘Chicks.’”

From Los Angeles Times