sheepish
embarrassed or bashful, as by having done something wrong or foolish.
like sheep, as in meekness, docility, etc.
Origin of sheepish
1Other words from sheepish
- sheep·ish·ly, adverb
- sheep·ish·ness, noun
Words Nearby sheepish
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use sheepish in a sentence
Peter McMahon, the physicist-engineer at Cornell University who led the development of the network, defends it with a sheepish smile, pointing out that the handwritten number looks sloppy.
Each time this happened, my supervisor simply watched the whole thing with a sheepish smile, but never said anything to the manager.
Miss Manners: Pick a wedding, any wedding — just not both | Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin, Jacobina Martin | June 24, 2021 | Washington PostAs Arthur — sheepish, with festering frustration — Douglas nimbly walks a tricky tightrope.
Digital theater productions highlight the power of art without an audience | Thomas Floyd | May 7, 2021 | Washington PostNever be sheepish or embarrassed when you are asking for money from a foundation or a philanthropist.
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities: The Bountiful Life of Vartan Gregorian | Richard Stengel | April 18, 2021 | Time“Look at all these open windows,” he berates his sheepish-looking underlings.
Ukraine’s Pro-Putin Rebels Prepare for a Last Stand | David Patrikarakos | July 10, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The other kind of clueless father I encounter on a semi-regular basis is the sheepish variety.
Necessary Errors is coming so late in my life that I feel a little sheepish about it.
There are denials from phone makers and carriers, sheepish admissions from others.
Cellphone Spyware, Like All Your Technology, Keeps Tabs on You | Dan Lyons | December 1, 2011 | THE DAILY BEASTThat left the small but fervid legion of believers who had dropped everything feeling upset and sheepish.
She resented his sudden drop from his pedestal, for he looked sentimental and somewhat sheepish.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonGradually he began to feel a little sheepish, but nevertheless he did not relinquish his desire to break up the service.
The Chequers | James RuncimanWell, I felt sheepish enough to be took in so, but I wouldn't a been in that ringmaster's place, not for a thousand dollars.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Complete | Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)The sheepish manners of our students and school-boys, may also be attributed to the mutton so generally alloted to them.
George stood his ground, looking sheepish; the old woman stood before him trembling violently and fighting against her tears.
It Is Never Too Late to Mend | Charles Reade
British Dictionary definitions for sheepish
/ (ˈʃiːpɪʃ) /
abashed or embarrassed, esp through looking foolish or being in the wrong
resembling a sheep in timidity or lack of initiative
Derived forms of sheepish
- sheepishly, adverb
- sheepishness, noun
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
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