Word of the Day

: December 19, 2006

unabashed

adjective un-uh-BASHT

What It Means

: not disconcerted : undisguised, unapologetic

unabashed in Context

Mary marveled at Sean's unabashed rudeness, astonished that he could be so obnoxious without a trace of remorse.

Did You Know?

When you are "unabashed," you make no apologies for your behavior, but when you are "abashed," your confidence has been shaken and you may feel rather inferior or ashamed of yourself. English speakers have been using "abashed" to describe feelings of embarrassment since the 14th century, but they have only used "unabashed" (brazenly or otherwise) since the late 1500s. Both words can be traced back to the Anglo-French word "abair," meaning "to astonish."