as in hesitation
lack of willingness to assert oneself and take risks
such timidness is surprising in a man as physically imposing as he is
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Recent Examples of timidness
Wilder was not stuck in the state of inertia that plagued him against Parker or the timidness against Zhang.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for timidness
Noun
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There can be apathy and hesitation.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
For example, during his dominant, 18-point first quarter in the Spurs’ Game 5 win over the Timberwolves, on one play Wembanyama hit a combo of hesitation dribbles into a crossover into a spinning layup over Rudy Gobert.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
This idea of reasonableness is easily caricatured as moral timidity or a bloodless neutrality that drains politics of passion.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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But our delay and our timidity continue to cause unimaginable human suffering.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Those fears have eased somewhat in recent months as some Democratic candidates advance from the pack.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
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Your co-parent is managing treatment, uncertainty and the very real fear of how this will affect his relationship with his daughter.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
Noun
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Accessibility Rooms for those with mobility needs are in place, and the fitness club, pool, spa, and public bathrooms also address accessibility concerns.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
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Since then, a growing number of cities have opted to further regulate e-bikes, citing a growing number of incidents and safety concerns.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Another reasonable worry is energy.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
14 May 2026
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With one less worry – a safe home – Denise can now imagine a future for her family.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Noun
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But the following year, as the pandemic wore on and crime rates ticked up, the politics of criminal justice in the city shifted toward law-and-order anxiety, even as new waves of COVID infection struck the jails.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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War rumbles on Putin, who has ruled Russia as president or prime minister since the last day of 1999, faces a wave of anxiety in Moscow about the war in Ukraine, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people, left swathes of Ukraine in ruins, and drained Russia’s $3 trillion economy.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Timidness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/timidness. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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