Definition of diffident in English:

diffident

adjective ˈdɪfɪd(ə)ntˈdɪfəd(ə)nt

Modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence.
谦卑的；害羞的；缺乏自信的
a diffident youth
一位缩手缩脚的年轻人。
Example sentencesExamples
- And his diffident manner should not be mistaken for a lack of energy.
- For those who are rather diffident about facing a public examination, there are helpful ‘proxy writers’ available.
- I am blaming the fact it's St George's day for my refusal to complain - what could be more English than feeling too diffident to complain about receiving an awful haircut?
- Thirty years later he is still embarrassed or diffident every time he is confronted with even a simple practical task.
- Far from being diffident, gratulatory or admiring, patients may bubble with entitlement, seethe with rage and insist on constant approval.
- He made sure that his furniture received the maximum publicity at international fairs, although he came across as a surprisingly diffident and modest man.
- The tenor in these passages is definitive and assertive, quite at odds with the unassuming, almost diffident, tone of the rest of the book.
- She is neither diffident nor boastful about this fact.
- He looked rather sheepish and diffident, hands in pockets and a nervous grin on his face.
- Far from being arrogant, today's doctors are diffident and afflicted by insecurity and self-doubt.
- After reading her views on the debate, it makes me wish I had something weighty or political to say, but I'm a little diffident about the whole thing.
- He was as diffident as you would expect, and, as with most famous people, my main thought upon seeing him in the flesh was that he looked just like he does on television.
- You become anxious, and this in turn causes you to become diffident, which consequently kills your body's alacrity.
- With diffident reluctance, she rose from her seat and went to where her outer robe hung; a wooden peg set in the near wall.
- Ironic, too, that he's diffident to the point of sheepishness, even in front of the most adoring audience.
- Dating agencies were once sniggered at as the last resort of those too diffident, dull or undesirable to find a partner in the normal course of their social life.
- With no one to listen to them, they get trapped in their problems and grow up diffident and unsure of their abilities.
- A champion of women's education in the truly liberal sense, he helped many a shy diffident young woman face the academic world.
- They are, with good reason, less diffident and less fearful.
- Emotionally diffident, he lacks the physical and dramatic force to invest the role with heroism.
Synonyms
shy, bashful, modest, self-effacing, unassuming, unpresuming, humble, meek, unconfident, unassertive, timid, timorous, shrinking, reserved, withdrawn, introverted, inhibited
insecure, self-doubting, doubtful, wary, unsure, apprehensive, uncertain, hesitant, nervous, reluctant, fearful
self-conscious, ill at ease, ashamed, abashed, embarrassed, shamefaced, sheepish
Scottish mim
informal mousy

Derivatives

diffidently

adverb ˈdɪfɪd(ə)ntli

‘I think it shows someone romantic, really,’ he says diffidently.
Example sentencesExamples
- ‘Today I'm not wanting to go into past controversies,’ he said, looking diffidently at the floor.
- Look at us, they seem, slightly diffidently, to be saying.
- My experience suggests that the lay member's views on legal questions, though diffidently expressed, can also sometimes be helpful.
- During the course of the conversation it was suggested somewhat diffidently that I might like to join the Labour party, for whose candidates I have never failed to vote.

Origin

Late Middle English (in the sense 'lacking confidence or trust in someone or something'): from Latin diffident- 'failing in trust', from the verb diffidere, from dis- (expressing reversal) + fidere 'to trust'.

faith from Middle English:
Both faith and fidelity (Late Middle English) come from the Latin word fides. Fido, a traditional name for a dog, is also related—it represents the Latin for ‘I trust’. Other words from the same source include confident (late 16th century), confide (Late Middle English), and diffident (Late Middle English) which originally meant ‘lacking in trust’. Fiancée, the French for ‘promised’, which goes back to fides is related. See also infidel

Definition of diffident in US English:

diffident

adjectiveˈdifəd(ə)ntˈdɪfəd(ə)nt

Modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence.
谦卑的；害羞的；缺乏自信的
a diffident youth
一位缩手缩脚的年轻人。
Example sentencesExamples
- You become anxious, and this in turn causes you to become diffident, which consequently kills your body's alacrity.
- With diffident reluctance, she rose from her seat and went to where her outer robe hung; a wooden peg set in the near wall.
- Thirty years later he is still embarrassed or diffident every time he is confronted with even a simple practical task.
- He looked rather sheepish and diffident, hands in pockets and a nervous grin on his face.
- Dating agencies were once sniggered at as the last resort of those too diffident, dull or undesirable to find a partner in the normal course of their social life.
- He was as diffident as you would expect, and, as with most famous people, my main thought upon seeing him in the flesh was that he looked just like he does on television.
- He made sure that his furniture received the maximum publicity at international fairs, although he came across as a surprisingly diffident and modest man.
- Ironic, too, that he's diffident to the point of sheepishness, even in front of the most adoring audience.
- Emotionally diffident, he lacks the physical and dramatic force to invest the role with heroism.
- For those who are rather diffident about facing a public examination, there are helpful ‘proxy writers’ available.
- I am blaming the fact it's St George's day for my refusal to complain - what could be more English than feeling too diffident to complain about receiving an awful haircut?
- She is neither diffident nor boastful about this fact.
- With no one to listen to them, they get trapped in their problems and grow up diffident and unsure of their abilities.
- After reading her views on the debate, it makes me wish I had something weighty or political to say, but I'm a little diffident about the whole thing.
- The tenor in these passages is definitive and assertive, quite at odds with the unassuming, almost diffident, tone of the rest of the book.
- Far from being arrogant, today's doctors are diffident and afflicted by insecurity and self-doubt.
- They are, with good reason, less diffident and less fearful.
- And his diffident manner should not be mistaken for a lack of energy.
- A champion of women's education in the truly liberal sense, he helped many a shy diffident young woman face the academic world.
- Far from being diffident, gratulatory or admiring, patients may bubble with entitlement, seethe with rage and insist on constant approval.
Synonyms
shy, bashful, modest, self-effacing, unassuming, unpresuming, humble, meek, unconfident, unassertive, timid, timorous, shrinking, reserved, withdrawn, introverted, inhibited

Origin

Late Middle English (in the sense ‘lacking confidence or trust in someone or something’): from Latin diffident- ‘failing in trust’, from the verb diffidere, from dis- (expressing reversal) + fidere ‘to trust’.

词汇	diffident
释义	Definition of diffident in English: diffident adjective ˈdɪfɪd(ə)ntˈdɪfəd(ə)nt Modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence. 谦卑的；害羞的；缺乏自信的 a diffident youth 一位缩手缩脚的年轻人。 Example sentencesExamples And his diffident manner should not be mistaken for a lack of energy. For those who are rather diffident about facing a public examination, there are helpful ‘proxy writers’ available. I am blaming the fact it's St George's day for my refusal to complain - what could be more English than feeling too diffident to complain about receiving an awful haircut? Thirty years later he is still embarrassed or diffident every time he is confronted with even a simple practical task. Far from being diffident, gratulatory or admiring, patients may bubble with entitlement, seethe with rage and insist on constant approval. He made sure that his furniture received the maximum publicity at international fairs, although he came across as a surprisingly diffident and modest man. The tenor in these passages is definitive and assertive, quite at odds with the unassuming, almost diffident, tone of the rest of the book. She is neither diffident nor boastful about this fact. He looked rather sheepish and diffident, hands in pockets and a nervous grin on his face. Far from being arrogant, today's doctors are diffident and afflicted by insecurity and self-doubt. After reading her views on the debate, it makes me wish I had something weighty or political to say, but I'm a little diffident about the whole thing. He was as diffident as you would expect, and, as with most famous people, my main thought upon seeing him in the flesh was that he looked just like he does on television. You become anxious, and this in turn causes you to become diffident, which consequently kills your body's alacrity. With diffident reluctance, she rose from her seat and went to where her outer robe hung; a wooden peg set in the near wall. Ironic, too, that he's diffident to the point of sheepishness, even in front of the most adoring audience. Dating agencies were once sniggered at as the last resort of those too diffident, dull or undesirable to find a partner in the normal course of their social life. With no one to listen to them, they get trapped in their problems and grow up diffident and unsure of their abilities. A champion of women's education in the truly liberal sense, he helped many a shy diffident young woman face the academic world. They are, with good reason, less diffident and less fearful. Emotionally diffident, he lacks the physical and dramatic force to invest the role with heroism. Synonyms shy, bashful, modest, self-effacing, unassuming, unpresuming, humble, meek, unconfident, unassertive, timid, timorous, shrinking, reserved, withdrawn, introverted, inhibited insecure, self-doubting, doubtful, wary, unsure, apprehensive, uncertain, hesitant, nervous, reluctant, fearful self-conscious, ill at ease, ashamed, abashed, embarrassed, shamefaced, sheepish Scottish mim informal mousy Derivatives diffidently adverb ˈdɪfɪd(ə)ntli ‘I think it shows someone romantic, really,’ he says diffidently. Example sentencesExamples ‘Today I'm not wanting to go into past controversies,’ he said, looking diffidently at the floor. Look at us, they seem, slightly diffidently, to be saying. My experience suggests that the lay member's views on legal questions, though diffidently expressed, can also sometimes be helpful. During the course of the conversation it was suggested somewhat diffidently that I might like to join the Labour party, for whose candidates I have never failed to vote. Origin Late Middle English (in the sense 'lacking confidence or trust in someone or something'): from Latin diffident- 'failing in trust', from the verb diffidere, from dis- (expressing reversal) + fidere 'to trust'. faith from Middle English: Both faith and fidelity (Late Middle English) come from the Latin word fides. Fido, a traditional name for a dog, is also related—it represents the Latin for ‘I trust’. Other words from the same source include confident (late 16th century), confide (Late Middle English), and diffident (Late Middle English) which originally meant ‘lacking in trust’. Fiancée, the French for ‘promised’, which goes back to fides is related. See also infidel Definition of diffident in US English: diffident adjectiveˈdifəd(ə)ntˈdɪfəd(ə)nt Modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence. 谦卑的；害羞的；缺乏自信的 a diffident youth 一位缩手缩脚的年轻人。 Example sentencesExamples You become anxious, and this in turn causes you to become diffident, which consequently kills your body's alacrity. With diffident reluctance, she rose from her seat and went to where her outer robe hung; a wooden peg set in the near wall. Thirty years later he is still embarrassed or diffident every time he is confronted with even a simple practical task. He looked rather sheepish and diffident, hands in pockets and a nervous grin on his face. Dating agencies were once sniggered at as the last resort of those too diffident, dull or undesirable to find a partner in the normal course of their social life. He was as diffident as you would expect, and, as with most famous people, my main thought upon seeing him in the flesh was that he looked just like he does on television. He made sure that his furniture received the maximum publicity at international fairs, although he came across as a surprisingly diffident and modest man. Ironic, too, that he's diffident to the point of sheepishness, even in front of the most adoring audience. Emotionally diffident, he lacks the physical and dramatic force to invest the role with heroism. For those who are rather diffident about facing a public examination, there are helpful ‘proxy writers’ available. I am blaming the fact it's St George's day for my refusal to complain - what could be more English than feeling too diffident to complain about receiving an awful haircut? She is neither diffident nor boastful about this fact. With no one to listen to them, they get trapped in their problems and grow up diffident and unsure of their abilities. After reading her views on the debate, it makes me wish I had something weighty or political to say, but I'm a little diffident about the whole thing. The tenor in these passages is definitive and assertive, quite at odds with the unassuming, almost diffident, tone of the rest of the book. Far from being arrogant, today's doctors are diffident and afflicted by insecurity and self-doubt. They are, with good reason, less diffident and less fearful. And his diffident manner should not be mistaken for a lack of energy. A champion of women's education in the truly liberal sense, he helped many a shy diffident young woman face the academic world. Far from being diffident, gratulatory or admiring, patients may bubble with entitlement, seethe with rage and insist on constant approval. Synonyms shy, bashful, modest, self-effacing, unassuming, unpresuming, humble, meek, unconfident, unassertive, timid, timorous, shrinking, reserved, withdrawn, introverted, inhibited Origin Late Middle English (in the sense ‘lacking confidence or trust in someone or something’): from Latin diffident- ‘failing in trust’, from the verb diffidere, from dis- (expressing reversal) + fidere ‘to trust’.
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