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The Difference Between Abashed and Unabashed
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).
Examples of unabashed in a Sentence
Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
The pieces fuse Richard James’ penchant for sleek suits and bold, unabashed print and color with Derrick’s own subversive take on tailoring.
—Violet Goldstone, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2025
Charlie Kirk was martyred for his belief in free expression, his faith, and his unabashed love for our country.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
No happening is too solemn, in this world, for a heaping portion of unabashed self-promotion.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 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 6 Oct. 2025.
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