diffidently
Americanadverb
-
in a way that shows lack of confidence in one’s own ability, worth, or fitness; timidly or shyly.
He saw her approaching rather diffidently, trying to summon up her courage, smiling an uncertain smile.
-
in a restrained or reserved way.
He got them to do the right thing not by scolding or nagging, but by calmly and diffidently laying out the logic of his position.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of diffidently
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.
“Well,” he began diffidently, “essentially I’m a writer.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025
She sings about love, almost diffidently, amid sustained swells of brasses and strings. an electronic drumbeat and some echoing trumpet calls raise tensions, only to dissolve them in the undulating warmth of Carm’s orchestrations.
From New York Times ● Sep. 2, 2022
Yes, we were responding to anonymous prompts, but we were looking, respectfully and diffidently, at a fellow human being.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2021
Joel smiled diffidently and admitted, "The ball has been bouncing my way so far."
From Golf Digest ● Apr. 16, 2020
Milo studied Yossarian diffidently through the corner of his eye, hesitating tactfully.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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