Bashful (Adjective)

Meaning ¹

Disposed to avoid notice; "they considered themselves a tough outfit and weren't bashful about letting anybody know it"; (`blate' is a Scottish term for bashful).

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The bashful child hid behind her mother's skirt during the party.
• She was normally a bashful person, but after a few drinks, she became the life of the party.
• He wasn't bashful about expressing his opinions, even if they were unpopular.
• The bashful teenager blushed when her crush smiled at her in the hallway.
• Despite being a bashful introvert, she surprised everyone with her powerful stage presence.

Synonyms

• Blate

Meaning ²

Self-consciously timid; "I never laughed, being bashful; lowering my head, I looked at the wall"- Ezra Pound.

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The shy young woman became bashful whenever she had to speak in front of a crowd, fumbling over her words and blushing brightly.
• He was so bashful that he could barely meet the girl's eye, let alone muster up the courage to ask her to dance.
• The child was bashful around strangers, clinging tightly to her mother's hand and refusing to let go.
• Despite her outward confidence, she was actually quite bashful when it came to discussing her feelings or emotions with others.
• After winning the award, the usually bashful artist surprised everyone by giving a poised and eloquent acceptance speech.

Related Words

• Bashfulness (noun)