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• withdrawn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

At times, the new mom gets bashful about the attention she’s received since returning to the team. —Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 3 Oct. 2025

Livestreaming isn’t the same as actually being there and seeing the fabric flow, the textures, the audience reaction and the bashful designer with their head down, forced onto the runway at the end of each show. —Nadja Sayej, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025

Conrad is gorgeous yet bashful. —Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2025

Mescal was somewhat shy and bashful, embarrassed of his big hands and the awkwardness of growing into his powerful body. —Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 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