bashful — reluctant to draw attention to oneself; shy
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: reluctant to draw attention to oneself; shy
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈbæʃfəl/
Example Sentences
- The bashful penguin refused to dance until all the other penguins left the ice rink.
- He was too bashful to ask for her phone number, so he wrote it on a napkin and ran away.
- The bashful student always sat in the back row to avoid being called on.
bashful
ADJECTIVE[/ˈbæʃfəl/]
reluctant to draw attention to oneself; shy
Holding the gold medal, the confident boy smiled widely, while the bashful girl hid her red face behind the trophy.
BASH(party) + FUL(full of) — entering the room completely FUL(full of) people for the birthday BASH(party), the quiet boy became heavily bashful.
Wearing the incredibly colorful dress outside, she suddenly felt extremely bashful when everyone looked at her.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From the Middle English word 'bash' (to strike or hit), combined with the suffix '-ful' (full of). The term evolved to mean shy or easily embarrassed, as if struck by shame.
Breakdown
bash (to strike; to be abashed) + -ful (full of, characterized by) = bashful (full of bashfulness; shy)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The bashful penguin refused to dance until all the other penguins left the ice rink.”
“He was too bashful to ask for her phone number, so he wrote it on a napkin and ran away.”
“The bashful student always sat in the back row to avoid being called on.”
“She became bashful when everyone started singing 'Happy Birthday' to her.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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