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sheepishly

American  
[shee-pish-lee] / ˈʃi pɪʃ li /

adverb

  1. in an embarrassed or bashful fashion.

    She sheepishly glanced around, hoping no one had noticed.

Etymology

Origin of sheepishly

sheepish ( def. ) + -ly

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.

Then sheepishly she added, “It is signed with the pet name I call Nathan when we are alone.”

From Literature

Every time he caught her eye, he grinned sheepishly, clearly hoping that he could melt her resolve.

From Literature

When one researcher sheepishly named their number, it was $100 million.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I’ve always had a lot of cheerleaders for me to do music,” Hudson replies, sheepishly.

From Los Angeles Times

“Geography was never my best subject,” Penelope sheepishly admitted.

From Literature

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.