Diffident: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Diffident adjective. Shy and lacking confidence in yourself.
How to say it
DIF-ih-dunt/ˈdɪfɪdənt/
3 syllables, stressed on the first (DIF).
Diffident in a sentence
Diffident in meetings, she wrote the sharpest reports in the department.
The diffident young poet barely looked up as he read.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- shy
- timid
- unassertive
- self-effacing
Opposite:
- confident
- assertive
Where diffident comes from
From Latin diffidere, to distrust, from dis-, not, and fidere, to trust.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The _____ young poet barely looked up as he read.
- captious
- diffident
- brash
Show the answer
diffident: The diffident young poet barely looked up as he read.