shrinking violet

Definition of shrinking violetnext
as in mouse
a shy or reserved person a reality show that wants shameless exhibitionists, not shrinking violets

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shrinking violet Why Winter Damage Can Be Problematic for Camellias Camellias are no shrinking violets. Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026 This spring there are no shrinking violets, only beguiling wallflowers. Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2026 Emanuel, hardly a subtle shrinking violet throughout his career, nevertheless explained why things were different. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025 Nobody would have called it that back in the 1960s, of course, but the man who shares a name with a Roman emperor (those guys weren't shrinking violets either) tends to be the biggest presence on any starship bridge. Richard Edwards, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shrinking violet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrinking violet
Noun
  • Cleaning out a cabin after the winter — sweeping up mouse droppings — has been associated with hantavirus cases in the United States.
    Helen Branswell, STAT, 7 May 2026
  • Drew and his team ran computer simulations of fluid’s motion in and around mouse brains.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • Jonsson plays Taylor, a watchful, aged-beyond-his-years introvert who has spent 13 years behind bars on a manslaughter charge — missing almost the entire life of his teenage son Adam (Cole Martin), from whom the boy’s mother is determined to keep him estranged.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Osaka, the pioneering introvert, is an icon.
    Ava Wallace, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Shrinking violet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrinking%20violet. Accessed 9 May. 2026.

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