as in timidity
the quality or state of lacking confidence or assertiveness
He met the girl's gaze with awkward diffidence.
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Recent Examples of diffidence
Between the sticks - Bayern seem reluctant to retire Neuer but this diffidence is helping no one.
—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
At its best, the uncomfortably intimate aesthetic of the films combined with the general diffidence at their heart attempted to epitomize a generational temperament and linguistic sensibility.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
Weaver brings a deceptive diffidence to Shelly, and Coleman is suitably enigmatic as V. Stiviano, a paragon of modern fameosexual ambition.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 3 June 2024
One reason for the diffidence may be that Shao-Horn already has another project for building larger electrodes to be used in EV applications.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 June 2010
See All Example Sentences for diffidence
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
At its best, the uncomfortably intimate aesthetic of the films combined with the general diffidence at their heart attempted to epitomize a generational temperament and linguistic sensibility.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
Weaver brings a deceptive diffidence to Shelly, and Coleman is suitably enigmatic as V. Stiviano, a paragon of modern fameosexual ambition.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 3 June 2024
One reason for the diffidence may be that Shao-Horn already has another project for building larger electrodes to be used in EV applications.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 June 2010
See All Example Sentences for diffidence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diffidence
Noun
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Indulgence can tip over into self-indulgence all too easily; holding back can result in a timidity that makes a song sound at odds with its subject.—
Maura Johnston,
Rolling Stone,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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She was particularly struck by the quietness of Latronico, and noticed that there didn’t seem to be any children around.—
Silvia Marchetti,
CNN Money,
25 Aug. 2025
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Seen as a whole, though, that quietness can sometimes verge on monotony, songs running into the next with little to grab onto — like an evaporating phantom.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The in-house caliber 113, a hand-wound movement with a 10-day power reserve, also drives a patented nonlinear power reserve indicator that appears to slow down as the time to wind approaches.—
Carol Besler,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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And with the 25-player limit on La Liga squads — even though Mastantuono was registered with the Real Madrid Castilla reserve team in case of a new arrival — Madrid’s room for more incoming players was minimal.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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At the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, the Reply AI Film Festival named Love at First Sight by Jacopo Reale, its Grand Prize winner, The AI Film Festival announced winners during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, selecting from over 2,500 submissions from 67 countries.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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This year’s submission pool demonstrated TCCF’s expanding international reach, with entries from 44 nations totaling nearly 700 projects.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Rose's shyness made the initial transition to shelter life difficult, with the dog struggling to adjust to the hustle and bustle of her new life.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Aug. 2025
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Hawley is a creator who has never lacked confidence in his own work, nor a shyness about expressing that confidence.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Diffidence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diffidence. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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