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
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of diffidently
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.
