diffident
adjective
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What is an antonym of diffident?
Diffident and confident are etymologically related antonyms, perched at opposite ends of a scale of self-assurance. Both words trace back to the Latin verb fīdere, which means "to trust." Diffident arose from a combination of fīdere and the prefix dis-, meaning "the absence of"; it has been used to refer to individuals lacking in self-trust since the 15th century. Confident arose from confīdere, a term created by combining fīdere with the intensifying prefix con-. That term has been used for self-trusting folks since at least the late 16th century. Fīdere puts the trust in several other English words too, including fidelity and fiduciary.
Synonyms
Examples of diffident in a Sentence
Jacques Barzun, From Dawn to Decadence, 2000
Whatever made him diffident at the prospect of having a military strike ordered in his defense, he kept it to himself.
—George Stephanopoulos, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 1999
"It's Indianapolis 500," Andrew said with a polite smile, pleasing me with his diffident correction.
—Camille Minichino, The Lithium Murder, 1999
… a boy of 8 or 13, gazing foursquare at the camera, diffident but showing off, petulant but vulnerable …
—Walker Percy, New York Times Book Review, 11 Oct. 1987
She was diffident about stating her opinion.
for someone who makes a living performing for other people, the actress is remarkably diffident in real life
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024
Watching an early appearance of Melanie on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson only left me more intrigued about her ambivalent relationship toward fame: How could the same person be so confident and charismatic behind a guitar, but so diffident and uncomfortable chatting with Carson?
—Joseph Fenity, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Jan. 2024
Many Israelis are critical of his fractious handling of the country before the Oct. 7 attack and resent his diffident treatment of the families of hostages held in Gaza.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2024
The truculent and diffident teen-ager, all floppy hair and hormones, disruptively acts out his frustrations, while nonetheless becoming a good big brother to the two girls; meanwhile, his sparks of playful flirtation with Anne ignite an uncontrollable conflagration of desire.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2023
As reluctant hero Pippin, Dallaire can’t help but be appealing with his diffident smile and locks of Owen Wilson-style hair.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2023
An anthropologist and activist based in London, al-Rasheed sketches a somewhat diffident revisionist history of the creation of Saudi Arabia—the only country in the world named after its ruling family.
—Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2020
By this time, her diffident singing and cucumber-cool delivery became her calling card.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2023
His retiring, anxious energy smartly updates the diffident English romantic persona cultivated by the likes of Hugh Grant and Colin Firth — but with a timely hint of Gen-Z neurosis in the mix.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Mar. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near diffident
Cite this Entry
“Diffident.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diffident. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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diffident
adjective
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