bashful
adjective
uncomfortably diffident and easily embarrassed; shy; timid.
bashfulness
-
a word derived from
bashful.
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.
Greenspan overcame his bashfulness in 1987 to ask Nancy Reagan, who frowned on unwed couples at formal events, if his invitation to a White House state dinner could include Mitchell as his guest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
It was thrust upon him, he said, a calling that required him to transcend survivor’s guilt and bashfulness.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 6, 2022
The two boys share a combination of bashfulness and optimism as they embark on an adventure unlike anything either has attempted before.
From New York Times ● Nov. 13, 2019
To hear the players tell it, they let Stafford and the Lions take it by falling victim to the most annoying late-game habit in football: defensive bashfulness.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 23, 2016
A bashfulness came over Javier, and Moss appreciated that he wasn’t the only vulnerable one in the room.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
