bashful

adjective

bash·​ful ˈbash-fəl 

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

ˈbash-fə-lē 

adverb

bashfulness

ˈbash-fəl-nəs 

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.”

Synonyms

• shy
• withdrawn

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

There are dozens of people screaming his name and the young Ronaldo appears bashful and shy. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 15 May 2025

But that hasn't stopped Chisholm, who is not bashful about adding chains and non-uniform colors to his look, from getting criticism. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 26 Mar. 2025

One time in particular, Fisher called him out for being a bit bashful about their Star Wars fame, Hamill recounted in a new interview on NPR's Fresh Air — like any good sister would. —EW.com, 4 June 2025

Cher was bashful to be busted but then couldn’t help laughing out loud at the audacity. —Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2025

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

Phrases Containing bashful

• bashful bladder
• bashful bladder syndrome

Kids Definition

bashful

adjective

bash·​ful ˈbash-fəl 

: awkward or afraid around other people

bashfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

bashfulness noun