Meaning & use

diffident

adjective·Advanced

Last updated

Lacking confidence in oneself; shy and hesitant.

See it in a sentence

He gave a diffident smile before quietly leaving the room.

Despite her expertise, she remained diffident about sharing her opinion.

A note on using this word

Often confused with 'different' because of the similar spelling, but the two words are unrelated in meaning.

Words with a similar meaning

shytimidreserved

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Words with an opposite meaning

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