Synonyms

bashful

American

[bash-fuhl] / ˈbæʃ fəl /

adjective

uncomfortably diffident and easily embarrassed; shy; timid.

Synonyms:

modest, abashed
indicative of, accompanied by, or proceeding from bashfulness.

bashful British

/ ˈbæʃfʊl /

adjective

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

"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

Related Words

See shy ¹.

Other Word Forms

bashfully adverb
bashfulness noun
overbashful adjective
overbashfully adverb
overbashfulness noun
unbashful adjective
unbashfully adverb
unbashfulness noun

Etymology

Origin of bashful

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

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.

Both sweet and bashful, Kikuo and Shunsuke quickly grow close, enduring Hanjiro’s exacting requirements as he shapes them to be graceful, disciplined performers.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

Armstrong, though, has been far from bashful about his ambitions for Coinbase, which he positioned as the American company to bring crypto into the mainstream.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

There is nothing bashful about Baci - who has changed the spelling of her last name from the original Bassey.

From BBC • Sep. 26, 2025

My point is, you got to own who you are and you don't have to be bashful or ashamed of anything about who you are and what you represent.

From Salon • May 18, 2024

“I don’t believe anything you tell me,” Nately replied, with a bashful mitigating smile.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023