BASHFULNESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bashfulness mean? 

• BASHFULNESS (noun)
  The noun BASHFULNESS has 1 sense:

1. feeling embarrassed due to modesty

  Familiarity information: BASHFULNESS used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BASHFULNESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Feeling embarrassed due to modesty

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

abashment; bashfulness

Hypernyms ("bashfulness" is a kind of...):

embarrassment (the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public)

Derivation:

bashful (self-consciously timid)

 Context examples 

It so happened that Beth's funny loan was just the thing, for in laughing over the kits, Laurie forgot his bashfulness, and grew sociable at once.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

“God guard thee, my lord!” she answered, speaking in the broadest West Saxon speech, and balancing herself first on one foot and then on the other in her bashfulness.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Mr. Peggotty, his face lighted up with uncommon satisfaction, and laughing with all his might, held his rough arms wide open, as if for little Em'ly to run into them; Ham, with a mixed expression in his face of admiration, exultation, and a lumbering sort of bashfulness that sat upon him very well, held little Em'ly by the hand, as if he were presenting her to Mr. Peggotty; little Em'ly herself, blushing and shy, but delighted with Mr. Peggotty's delight, as her joyous eyes expressed, was stopped by our entrance (for she saw us first) in the very act of springing from Ham to nestle in Mr. Peggotty's embrace.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I was pressed to do more than one thing which another could not do for me, and therefore endeavoured to make my mistress understand, that I desired to be set down on the floor; which after she had done, my bashfulness would not suffer me to express myself farther, than by pointing to the door, and bowing several times.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

The woman was better off; she might have the assistance of fine clothes, and the privilege of bashfulness, but the man had only his own good sense to depend on; and when she considered how peculiarly unlucky poor Mr. Elton was in being in the same room at once with the woman he had just married, the woman he had wanted to marry, and the woman whom he had been expected to marry, she must allow him to have the right to look as little wise, and to be as much affectedly, and as little really easy as could be.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

I forgot my bashfulness, and pegged away (no other word will express it) with all my might, tumbling over long words, pronouncing according to inspiration of the minute, and doing my very best.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Poor Laurie didn't know where to look, for, man though he was, something of the old bashfulness came over him as this burst of praise made all faces turn approvingly upon him.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Amy spoke and looked so like a homesick child whose heart was full that Laurie forgot his bashfulness all at once, and gave her just what she wanted—the petting she was used to and the cheerful conversation she needed.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Laurie's bashfulness soon wore off, for Jo's gentlemanly demeanor amused and set him at his ease, and Jo was her merry self again, because her dress was forgotten and nobody lifted their eyebrows at her.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Laurie turned red again, but wasn't offended at being accused of bashfulness, for there was so much good will in Jo it was impossible not to take her blunt speeches as kindly as they were meant.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)