diffident

adjective
UK: /ˈdɪfɪdənt/
US: /ˈdɪfɪdənt/

  1. Shy and not confident, especially about your abilities or how you look.

    1. He felt diffident about speaking in public.
    2. Despite his success, he remains diffident about his own abilities in certain contexts.

  2. Lacking confidence in oneself; hesitant to assert oneself due to shyness or a feeling of inadequacy.

    1. She was diffident and quiet at the meeting.
    2. The student gave a diffident response to the teacher's challenging question.

Synonyms

shy timid unassertive bashful reticent self-effacing

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "diffident" in English means: Shy and not confident, especially about your abilities or how you look., Lacking confidence in oneself; hesitant to assert oneself due to shyness or a feeling of inadequacy..

The phonetic transcription of "diffident" is /ˈdɪfɪdənt/ in British English and /ˈdɪfɪdənt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "diffident": shy, timid, unassertive, bashful, reticent, self-effacing.

Example usage of "diffident": "He felt diffident about speaking in public.". More examples on the page.