adjective
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disposed to attempt to avoid notice through shyness or modesty; diffident; timid
-
indicating or characterized by shyness or modesty
Related Words
See shy 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bashful
Explanation
Bashful means shy or timid. You might feel bashful when meeting a famous actress, a high-ranking government official, or just someone whom you find really good-looking. Bashful and shy are similar in meaning, but not quite identical. Bashful often describes people who are shy but friendly. In fact, being bashful is sometimes seen as an endearing quality. So, you probably wouldn't use bashful to describe a quiet, reserved coworker with whom you have little contact; shy would be a better fit. However, bashful is a perfect description for your good friend who unfortunately becomes tongue-tied whenever she tries to talk to strangers.
Vocabulary lists containing bashful
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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Much Ado About Nothing
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She makes her way to a cottage in the forest that is inhabited by seven dwarfs named Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy and Dopey who all work in a nearby mine.
From Fox News • Jan. 25, 2022
Rudy Giuliani started Tuesday in the manner Americans have come to expect of the president’s lawyer: He attacked former FBI director James Comey by tweeting a cartoon image of Bashful from Disney’s “Snow White.”
From Washington Post • Dec. 19, 2018
Unlike the Thrifty Frankenstein or the Bashful Hamburglar, the Bloody Dracula is a trick that actually exists.
From Slate • Feb. 24, 2018
The playlist starts with Bashful Brother Oswald wondering how to catch a rabbit that is hiding in a log.
From The Guardian • Aug. 23, 2012
Bashful, Petey didn’t bother denying the things TimeStar said he was capable of.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
