Meaning of DIFFIDENT
| Pronunciation: | | 'difidunt
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 WordNet Dictionary |
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- [adj] lacking self-confidence; "stood in the doorway diffident and abashed"; "problems that call for bold not timid responses"; "a very unsure young man"
- [adj] showing modest reserve; "she was diffident when offering a comment on the professor's lecture"
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| | Synonyms: | | reserved, shy, timid, unconfident, unsure |
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| Webster's 1913 Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | \Dif"fi*dent\, a. [L. diffidens, -entis, p. pr. of
diffidere; dif- = dis + fidere to trust; akin to fides faith.
See {Faith}, and cf. {Defy}.]
1. Wanting confidence in others; distrustful. [Archaic]
You were always extremely diffident of their
success. --Melmoth.
2. Wanting confidence in one's self; distrustful of one's own
powers; not self-reliant; timid; modest; bashful;
characterized by modest reserve.
The diffident maidens, Folding their hands in
prayer. --Longfellow.
Syn: Distrustful; suspicious; hesitating; doubtful; modest;
bashful; lowly; reserved.
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| Thesaurus Terms |
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| | Related Terms: | | bashful, boggling, cautious, cowardly, coy, demure, demurring, deprecative, deprecatory, faltering, fearful, fearing, fearsome, goosy, hesitant, hesitating, in fear, jibbing, jumpy, modest, mousy, nervous, qualmish, rabbity, reluctant, retiring, scary, scrupling, scrupulous, self-deprecating, self-depreciating, self-depreciative, self-distrustful, self-doubting, self-effacing, shaky, shilly-shallying, shivery, shrinking, shy, skittery, skittish, squeamish, startlish, sticking, stickling, straining, tentative, timid, timorous, trembling, tremulous, trepidant, trigger-happy, unassertive, unassured, unselfconfident, unselfreliant |
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