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Synonyms

sheepish

American  
[shee-pish] / ˈʃi pɪʃ /

adjective

  1. embarrassed or bashful, as by having done something wrong or foolish.

  2. like sheep, as in meekness, docility, etc.

sheepish British  
/ ˈʃiːpɪʃ /

adjective

  1. abashed or embarrassed, esp through looking foolish or being in the wrong

  2. resembling a sheep in timidity or lack of initiative

"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

Other Word Forms

  • sheepishly adverb
  • sheepishness noun

Etymology

Origin of sheepish

First recorded in 1150–1200, sheepish is from the Middle English word shepisshe; sheep, -ish 1

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.