as in mice
a shy or reserved person
a reality show that wants shameless exhibitionists, not shrinking violets
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Recent Examples of shrinking violets
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
Richard Edwards, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrinking violets
introverts
Noun
-
Presumably introverts are less worried about them as a result.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
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Internet users can’t get enough of Mason’s refusal to engage with the other pups at day care, as many fellow introverts could relate.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrinking violets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrinking%20violets. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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