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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
Elias Burke, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Their sly and winning songwriting deftly embraced more than a wink-wink, nudge-nudge of shrewd parody and unabashed social incorrectness.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026
Younger shoppers seem unabashed in their love of the spectacle and sparkle, the glamour of the lingerie, notes CEO Hillary Super.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Her unabashed personal expression at the pinnacle of American women’s skating is quite radical.
—Jasmine Wynn, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unabashed
Cite this Entry
“Unabashed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unabashed. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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