bashful
adj[ˈbæʃfəɫ] · [ˈbæʃfʊɫ]
Etymology 16th-century apheresis of abashed + -ful (“full of”).
1
Shy; not liking to be noticed; socially timid.
2
Indicating bashfulness.
- a bashful look
- “Have you done something to your hair?” “I just ran a comb through it,” shrugged the vicar. “Well, it looks delightful.” “How delightful of you to say so.” Auntie Flip and the vicar shared bashful grins. Frank had never witnessed his babysitter behave like this before.2017, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Bad Dad, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:
- Derived terms
- bashful bladder, bashfully, bashfulness, overbashful, unbashful