bashful

adjective

bash·​ful ˈbash-fəl How to pronounce bashful (audio)
1
: socially shy or timid : diffident, self-conscious
He was bashful as a child.
2
: resulting from or typical of a bashful nature
a bashful smile
bashfully adverb
bashfulness noun

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The Roots of Bashful

The adjective suffix -ful has a number of different senses, most of which have very little to do with "full of." In the case of bashful, -ful means "having the qualities of." This sense of -ful was combined with an obsolete verb bash meaning "to be abashed” (that is, dismayed or embarrassed) to form bashful, which literally means “having the qualities of being abashed.” This combination of a verb with -ful is also seen in mournful, which literally means “having the qualities of mourning.”

Choose the Right Synonym for bashful

shy, bashful, diffident, modest, coy mean not inclined to be forward.

shy implies a timid reserve and a shrinking from familiarity or contact with others.

shy with strangers

bashful implies a frightened or hesitant shyness characteristic of childhood and adolescence.

a bashful boy out on his first date

diffident stresses a distrust of one's own ability or opinion that causes hesitation in acting or speaking.

felt diffident about raising an objection

modest suggests absence of undue confidence or conceit.

modest about her success

coy implies a pretended shyness.

put off by her coy manner

Examples of bashful in a Sentence

bashful boys asking girls to dance a bashful child who hid in his room whenever there were visitors in the house
Recent Examples on the Web The spring’s boyfriend blush trend drags the pigment far beyond the usual target zone and focuses on rich layers to emulate a bashful expression. Akili King, Essence, 19 Sep. 2024 On electrical poles, crosswalks, and the windows of small businesses throughout East Orlando are wilted posters of the same person: a petite woman with wavy, maroon hair and a bashful smile. Raquel Reichard, refinery29.com, 18 Sep. 2024 Perhaps you’ll be asked to act in a moving-picture show, participate in a mustache contest, take a drawing class, help a gang rob a bank or inspire a bashful Calico resident to ask a lady to the afternoon hoedown. Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2024 During the run, Escola posed for backstage photos with the likes of Pedro Pascal, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sally Field and Steven Spielberg — and is not bashful about how exciting these brushes with fame can be. Shane O’Neill, Washington Post, 6 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for bashful 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bashful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Early Modern English bash "to lose composure, be dismayed" (going back to Middle English baishen, basshen, probably aphetic variant of abaissen, abaschen "to abash") + -ful entry 1

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bashful was in 1548

Dictionary Entries Near bashful

Cite this Entry

“Bashful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bashful. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

bashful

adjective
bash·​ful ˈbash-fəl How to pronounce bashful (audio)
: awkward or afraid around other people
bashfully adverb
bashfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on bashful

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