bashfulness

noun

Definition of bashfulnessnext
as in shyness

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bashfulness Her skin—something known as Frubber, a porous patented blend of fleshlike elastic polymers—stretched over a structure of plastic and titanium, and there was no flicker of bashfulness. — Dan Turello, New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bashfulness
  1. shyness
  2. embarrassment
  3. timidity
  4. inhibition
  5. restraint
  6. skittishness
Noun
  • Prince George seems to have inherited Princess Diana’s endearing shyness.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The smile didn’t come immediately, but suddenly the shyness gave way and her smile stretched from ear to ear.
    — Andy Clayton, New York Daily News, 26 June 2026
Definition of shyness
Noun
  • He’s particularly drawn to episodes that are discomforting for his countrymen—the Dreyfus Affair, and, a recent obsession, French accommodation in Nazi rule during the Occupation, a national embarrassment that was long passed over in silence.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Just the latest embarrassment from the worst president in any of our lifetimes.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of embarrassment
Noun
  • My mother was never one for parting phrases, mainly because she was overwhelmed by a form of timidity that verged on self-erasure.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But in a state like Connecticut, where Democrats flipped seats in the most recent local elections, this timidity makes no sense.
    — Matthew Blinstrubas, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026
Definition of timidity
Noun
  • As art and its creators have shed their inhibitions in this post-Sadean world, politicians and cultural commentators have reliably lined up to condemn this total freedom of expression as being dangerous to society.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Put inhibitions aside to experience the latest episode of Doc Talk, hosted by John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, Shirley), and Matt Carey, Deadline’s senior documentary editor.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 30 June 2026
Definition of inhibition
Noun
  • If the answer is yes, then waiting ceases to be a strategy of restraint and begins to look like gradual erosion of power and strength.
    — Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Meghna Gulzar has a very distinctive voice and an ability to approach difficult subjects with both restraint and intensity.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of restraint
Noun
  • This summer, major shoe brands from Nike to Adidas to Under Armour to On have each expressed skittishness about the retail environment for sneaker sales.
    — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Hybrids past and present High fuel prices, broader selection and lingering skittishness around EV range and charging are pushing an unprecedented number of buyers toward hybrids.
    — Robert Ferris, CNBC, 23 July 2026
Definition of skittishness

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bashfulness
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Cite this Entry

“Bashfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bashfulness. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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