diffidently

[ dif-i-duhnt-lee ]

adverb

1. in a way that shows lack of confidence in one’s own ability, worth, or fitness; timidly or shyly:

   He saw her approaching rather diffidently, trying to summon up her courage, smiling an uncertain smile.

2. in a restrained or reserved way:

   He got them to do the right thing not by scolding or nagging, but by calmly and diffidently laying out the logic of his position.

Other Words From

• non·dif·fi·dent·ly adverb
• un·dif·fi·dent·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of diffidently¹

diffident ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

She sings about love, almost diffidently, amid sustained swells of brasses and strings. an electronic drumbeat and some echoing trumpet calls raise tensions, only to dissolve them in the undulating warmth of Carm’s orchestrations.

From New York Times

Yes, we were responding to anonymous prompts, but we were looking, respectfully and diffidently, at a fellow human being.

From Los Angeles Times

He falls passionately, and yet at the same slightly diffidently, for a married woman – as Fiennes was endlessly to do in the movies afterwards.

From The Guardian

Connery answers diffidently: “A little. It’s throwing the gyroscopic controls of a guided missile off balance with a … a radio beam or something, isn’t it?”

From New York Times

Manchester entered on its Victory in Europe rejoicings a little diffidently and the day was physically suited to the mood.

From The Guardian

Related Words

• humbly
• plainly
• quietly
• simply