Diffidence

  • 1Diffidence — Dif fi*dence, n. [L. diffidentia.] 1. The state of being diffident; distrust; want of confidence; doubt of the power, ability, or disposition of others. [Archaic] [1913 Webster] That affliction grew heavy upon me, and weighed me down even to a… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2diffidence — index fear, hesitation, qualm, reluctance Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …

    Law dictionary

  • 3diffidence — c.1400, from L. diffidentia mistrust, distrust, want of confidence, from diffidere to mistrust, lack confidence, from dis away (see DIS (Cf. dis )) + fidere to trust (see FAITH (Cf. faith)). Modern sense is of distrusting oneself (1650s). The… …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4diffidence — [n] hesitancy; lack of confidence backwardness, bashfulness, constraint, doubt, fear, hesitation, humility, insecurity, meekness, modesty, mousiness, reluctance, reserve, selfconsciousness, sheepishness, shyness, timidity, timidness, timorousness …

    New thesaurus

  • 5diffidence — [dif′ə dəns] n. [ME < L diffidentia < diffidens, prp. of diffidere, to distrust < dis , not + fidere, to trust: see FAITH] lack of confidence in oneself, marked by hesitation in asserting oneself; shyness …

    English World dictionary

  • 6diffidence — noun her diffidence was out of place in this outgoing group Syn: shyness, bashfulness, modesty, self effacement, meekness, unassertiveness, timidity, humility, hesitancy, reticence, insecurity, self doubt, uncertainty, self consciousness …

    Thesaurus of popular words

  • 7diffidence —   Hilahila, ho okano ole.    ♦ With unfeigned diffidence, me ka hopohopo ho okamani ole …

    English-Hawaiian dictionary

  • 8diffidence — nepasitikėjimas savimi statusas T sritis Kūno kultūra ir sportas apibrėžtis Pasitikėjimo savimi trūkumas, pasireiškiantis nesėkmės baime, abejonėmis dėl savo gebėjimų, galimybių, varžovų pervertinimu. atitikmenys: angl. diffidence vok.… …

    Sporto terminų žodynas

  • 9diffidence — diffident ► ADJECTIVE ▪ lacking in self confidence. DERIVATIVES diffidence noun diffidently adverb. ORIGIN Latin, from diffidere fail to trust …

    English terms dictionary

  • 10diffidence — noun Date: 14th century the quality or state of being diffident …

    New Collegiate Dictionary