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The Difference Between Abashed and Unabashed
To abash someone is to shake up their composure or 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).
Examples of unabashed in a Sentence
Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
To fellow-Brits, Down and Kay’s unabashed appetite for success can look like an American-style trait, simultaneously attractive and suspect.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2025
The movie is vintage Brewer, an intelligent audience-pleaser filled with heart and style and unabashed but fully earned sentiment and humor.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 8 Dec. 2025
Rian Johnson’s Benoit Blanc films have succeeded as satisfying murder mysteries that double as unabashed comedies.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unabashed
Cite this Entry
“Unabashed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unabashed. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
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