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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
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
Still, the sequel is an unabashed hit by any measure, having cost only $110 million to produce.
—Lindsey Bahr, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
Still, the sequel is an unabashed hit by any measure, having cost only $110 million to produce.
—ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
Zendaya's fashion exploration began during that period of unabashed era of '00s style.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 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 21 Apr. 2026.
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