Synonyms

shrinking violet

American

noun

a shy, modest, or self-effacing person.

shrinking violet British

noun

informal a shy person

"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

Etymology

Origin of shrinking violet

First recorded in 1925–30

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.

They both said you don't want "a shrinking violet".

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025

Mirren is no shrinking violet, and neither is the woman she portrays.

From Salon • Dec. 18, 2022

Instead, they were chipping off quips and learning a new way not to be a shrinking violet.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2022

Beal took over as the Wizards’ leader on and off the court while Wall was injured for the past two years, and Westbrook is no shrinking violet.

From Washington Post • Dec. 3, 2020

I mean his pa was purt close to Pap’s size and his ma wasn’t no shrinking violet of a woman neither.

From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023