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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of diffidence
And has done so with the kind of diffidence that can only come from a lifetime in the sports backwaters.
—
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2025
The concern now is not diffidence in New Delhi, but diffidence in Washington.
—Nirupama Rao, Foreign Affairs, 30 July 2025
Between the sticks - Bayern seem reluctant to retire Neuer but this diffidence is helping no one.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
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
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2025
The concern now is not diffidence in New Delhi, but diffidence in Washington.
—Nirupama Rao, Foreign Affairs, 30 July 2025
Between the sticks - Bayern seem reluctant to retire Neuer but this diffidence is helping no one.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
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
-
The Bulls took 18 fewer shots than the Celtics as a direct result of their timidity on the glass, grabbing only six offensive rebounds to Boston’s 20.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Enmired in the self-satisfactions and unnamed timidities of childhood, Galinda finds in herself neither canniness nor the need to cultivate it.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
30 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Combine that with EVs’ inherent benefits—quietness, smoothness, and low operating costs—and the case for electrification becomes irresistible.—
Alex Hewitt,
IEEE Spectrum,
6 Jan. 2026
-
There is also a lot to appreciate in the quietness of the season.—
Morayo Ogunbayo,
AJC.com,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But for Coles, his indoctrination to law enforcement has been a different level of submissiveness.—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
2 Dec. 2025
-
In Killers of the Flower Moon, his Ernest Burkhart starts off as a mopey, weak-minded World War One veteran, eager to do anything for his godfather uncle (Robert De Niro), but there’s still a certain likability to his dim-bulb submissiveness.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
These soils are low in nutrients, drain quickly but retain small reserves of moisture, and warm rapidly in sunlight before releasing heat at night.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Indeed, the island's rare-Earth reserves rank just below those of the United States.—
Peter Juul Tribune News Service,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Her skin—something known as Frubber, a porous patented blend of fleshlike elastic polymers—stretched over a structure of plastic and titanium, and there was no flicker of bashfulness.—
Dan Turello,
New Yorker,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The submissions were also sent to prosecutor Daniel Porceddu, who didn't check their accuracy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings.—
Gary Trust,
Billboard,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But terpsichorean shyness isn’t Josh’s problem.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Strategic silence is not shyness or introversion.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Diffidence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diffidence. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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