sheepish

adjective

sheep·​ish ˈshē-pish How to pronounce sheepish (audio)
1
: resembling a sheep: such as
a
: meek, timid
b
: stupid
2
: affected by or showing embarrassment caused by consciousness of a fault
a sheepish grin
sheepishly adverb
sheepishness noun

Examples of sheepish in a Sentence

He felt a little sheepish. a sheepish scholar who is most comfortable when surrounded by books
Recent Examples on the Web She and her family are welcomed by the queen, Isabelle (Robin Wright, gorgeously cloaked in robes, power and snobbery), and her fiancé, Prince Henry (Nick Robinson), who looks oddly sheepish, as if he’d been caught in a lie on his Royal Match profile. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 The film is set in 1820s Oregon, where the sheepish Cookie (John Magaro) is making his way West with a group of fur trappers. Katie Rife, EW.com, 16 Oct. 2023 Remedy appears to be leaning more fully into survival horror this time around, and there were some genuine spooks during the demo, including one that had the entire room shouting with surprise and following that up with some sheepish giggles. Sarah Leboeuf, Ars Technica, 13 June 2023 The latter results in one of the film’s best scenes when Eileen lays down the law to her sheepish husband, which Masterson absolutely nails. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Nov. 2023 On move-in day, parents would introduce themselves to me and summarize their first-year student’s accomplishments while their child wore a look of sheepish embarrassment. Rebekah Peeples, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2023 Wolff paints the post-Ailes, post-Dominion, and post-Tucker Fox as a rudderless behemoth, led by sheepish heirs who loathe the sordid business but are chained to the money pipeline by greed. Nina Burleigh, The New Republic, 26 Sep. 2023 The hasty conclusion ends the film on a sheepish note, without having gotten away with much at all. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 25 Sep. 2023 Where Isaac seems to relish making contact with the audience, Donahoe proceeded with a sheepish grin, as though recognizing the mutual embarrassment in a performance that wore its melancholy like a second skin. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sheepish was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near sheepish

Cite this Entry

“Sheepish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sheepish. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sheepish

adjective
sheep·​ish ˈshē-pish How to pronounce sheepish (audio)
1
: resembling a sheep (as in being meek or shy)
2
: embarrassed especially over being found out in a fault
a sheepish look
sheepishly adverb
sheepishness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sheepish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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