as in shy
not comfortable around people
a sheepish scholar who is most comfortable when surrounded by books
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Recent Examples of sheepish
Putting it simply, Mackenzie’s a dork; a sheepish science guy whose awe of Samus and bumbling demeanor set the duo up as a typical odd couple.
—
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2025
My protagonist feels similarly sheepish about her inability to master another language.
—Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
Guests of the event, dressed up in cocktail attire, admitted to feeling sheepish, reminded so powerfully about the current context, and hurried their way inside the storied building more quickly than in previous editions.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2025
Red-cheeked and reticent, the duo shook their heads and took their sheepish leave.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sheepish
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2025
My protagonist feels similarly sheepish about her inability to master another language.
—Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
Guests of the event, dressed up in cocktail attire, admitted to feeling sheepish, reminded so powerfully about the current context, and hurried their way inside the storied building more quickly than in previous editions.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2025
Red-cheeked and reticent, the duo shook their heads and took their sheepish leave.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sheepish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheepish
Adjective
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Dybantsa was two points shy of tying BYU's NCAA Tournament record for points in a game, held by Danny Ainge and Jimmer Fredette.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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If the forecast high of 94 holds up, that would be nearly 20 degrees hotter than normal and just 2 degrees shy of the March 22 daily heat record set in 1971.—
Roberto Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Parents report that many children stop eating, lose weight and become withdrawn.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
6 Feb. 2026
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Along the way, Babilonia matured from the shy withdrawn child who refused to hold a boy’s hand into a bold, strong and confident woman.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Meanwhile, some of Brady’s former teammates with the Patriots weren’t bashful about their loyalty heading into Super Bowl LX between the Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, including Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
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Next was a bashful grad student from Columbia’s engineering school who could not make eye contact.—
The Editors,
Curbed,
15 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Velasquez did even better, stringing together nine straight winning seasons that included a program-record 33 wins in 2021-22, three of the program’s four regional titles and its lone sectional title in 2022-23.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
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The Cardinal lost their lone meeting against West Virginia in 1959 in Los Angeles.—
Laurence Miedema,
Mercury News,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sheepish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sheepish. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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