To abash someone is to shake up their self-possession, as illustrated by Charlotte Brontë in her 1849 novel Shirley: "He had never blushed in his life; no humiliation could abash him." When you are unabashed you make no apologies for your behavior (nor do you attempt to hide or disguise it), but when you are abashed your confidence has been thrown off and you may feel rather inferior or ashamed of yourself. English speakers have been using abashed to describe feelings of embarrassment since the 14th century, but they have only used unabashed (brazenly or otherwise) since the 15th century (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
She is an unabashed supporter of the president's policies. unabashed by their booing and hissing, he continued with his musical performance
Recent Examples on the WebUltimately, the synergy between Hilton’s signature hospitality and Rochon’s savant-like design graces — the dichotomy of a California dreaming state of mind with unabashed refinement — is a match made in hotel heaven for all guests to relish.—Tiffany Leigh, Travel + Leisure, 15 Oct. 2024 Her social media posts, even those that nod to fashion and accessories, are authentic takes on life by a woman who is at once unabashed and earnest, a progressive who understands her gravity in the scheme of things.—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2024 The 22-year-old creator and NYC resident became notorious this year for her videos encouraging calorie restriction and the unabashed pursuit of thinness for corporate women who work at their desks all day.—Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2024 Overall, wearing these modern Piaget watches felt like a journey into an entirely unique corner of today’s Swiss watchmaking, a corner that is filled with unabashed luxury, complication, design, jewel-setting and—for lack of a better word—imagination.—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for unabashed
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unabashed.' 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
Middle English unabaiste, from un- + abaiste, past participle of abaissen, abaishen to abash
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