Dictionary.com

bashful

[ bash-fuhl ]
/ ˈbæʃ fəl /
See synonyms for: bashful / bashfully / bashfulness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

uncomfortably diffident and easily embarrassed; shy; timid.
indicative of, accompanied by, or proceeding from bashfulness.

QUIZZES

DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
owl
crow
piranha
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of bashful

First recorded in 1540–50; (a)bash + -ful

synonym study for bashful

1. See shy1.

OTHER WORDS FROM bashful

Words nearby bashful

base tenant, base unit, bash, Bashan, bashaw, bashful, bashi-bazouk, bashing, Bashkir, Bashkir Autonomous Republic, Bashkir Republic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to bashful

reticent, sheepish, diffident, coy, confused, embarrassed, timid, self-conscious, abashed, backward, blushing, chary, demure, humble, modest, nervous, reserved, retiring, shamefaced, shrinking

Example sentences from the Web for bashful

British Dictionary definitions for bashful

bashful
/ (ˈbæʃfʊl) /

adjective

disposed to attempt to avoid notice through shyness or modesty; diffident; timid
indicating or characterized by shyness or modesty

Derived forms of bashful

bashfully, adverbbashfulness, noun

Word Origin for bashful

C16: from bash, short for abash + -ful
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012