as in timidity
the quality or state of lacking confidence or assertiveness
He met the girl's gaze with awkward diffidence.
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Recent Examples of diffidence
And that eye could see past Dorothy’s drab uniform and Cindy Brady pigtails, her tall girl’s diffidence and her sweet girl’s shyness, to the bombshell smoldering underneath.
—
Lili Anolik,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
There are no speakers in the songs of MJ Lenderman other than MJ Lenderman, whose diffidence and exhaustion are in all-too-perfect lockstep with the psychic frustrations of his listeners.
—
Armin Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
But Cropper’s diffidence about his abilities was the perfect mindset for a rhythm guitarist, whose job is to serve the song and the band rather than himself.
—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
5 Dec. 2025
Scott was completing a yearlong master’s program in mathematics, and Noone, a doctoral candidate five years his senior, was charmed by the contrast between his good looks and his diffidence.
—
Eren Orbey,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for diffidence
Lili Anolik,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
There are no speakers in the songs of MJ Lenderman other than MJ Lenderman, whose diffidence and exhaustion are in all-too-perfect lockstep with the psychic frustrations of his listeners.
—
Armin Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
But Cropper’s diffidence about his abilities was the perfect mindset for a rhythm guitarist, whose job is to serve the song and the band rather than himself.
—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
5 Dec. 2025
Scott was completing a yearlong master’s program in mathematics, and Noone, a doctoral candidate five years his senior, was charmed by the contrast between his good looks and his diffidence.
—
Eren Orbey,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for diffidence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for diffidence
Noun
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But in a state like Connecticut, where Democrats flipped seats in the most recent local elections, this timidity makes no sense.
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There are those who would write her off, and perhaps her timidity before America’s facilitation of Gaza’s destruction has earned that dismissal.
Noun
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To come up with its study, the company looked at different factors that equate to quietness, including monthly search volume, visitor ratings, average summer temperatures, access to nearby restaurants and bars, and availability of accommodations.
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The last rays of the setting sun lit the distant Saw Tooth Mountains away to the west, while a quietness settled like a huge soft blanket spread over the wilderness.
Noun
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Attraction is a function of parentage and looks and submissiveness.
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But for Coles, his indoctrination to law enforcement has been a different level of submissiveness.
Noun
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Never a forward accused of timidness, his offside restraint is not down to any reluctance to make surging runs in behind.
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The Denver Post editorial is a master class in timidness and in saying nothing of import.
Noun
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To balance the budget over the last few years, Newsom and lawmakers have dipped into the state’s reserves at a time when California is experiencing strong revenue growth, which the LAO has cautioned against.
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It is backed by a 10-minute thermal buffer tank and a 72-hour emergency water reserve to ensure continuous, fail-safe climate control.
Noun
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Her skin—something known as Frubber, a porous patented blend of fleshlike elastic polymers—stretched over a structure of plastic and titanium, and there was no flicker of bashfulness.
Noun
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The statement amounted to a complete submission to Thomas, who used her Tuesday media availability to blast Engelbert.
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With three different categories, judges from across the USA TODAY Network ranked each submission in order to narrow down the contest to just 30 finalists.
Noun
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Then the release, the arrival, the return to self, and a lazy, funny sort of shyness.
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There was no awkwardness or shyness.
Cite this Entry
“Diffidence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/diffidence. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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