diffidence means the state of being diffident, timid or shy; reticence or self-effacement. It carries an Arena rating of 1626, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, diffidence ranks #1,042 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #2,319 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #2,962 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #3,195 of 17,131 for Scariest Words.
diffidence is pronounced /ˈdɪfɪdəns/.
Why “diffidence” is a great word
A lack of self-confidence marked by shyness, timidity, or reticence, arising from a fundamental distrust in one's own abilities. From Latin diffīdentia ("distrust"), from diffīdere ("to mistrust"), from dis- ("apart, away") + fīdere ("to trust"); the original sense of "distrust of others" is attested from c. 1400, with the modern sense of "distrust of oneself" emerging in the 1650s. Unlike "shyness," a surface discomfort in company, or "confidence," its gleaming opposite, diffidence is a deeper, constitutional hesitation. It is the half-formed thought dissolved on the tongue, the hand half-raised then withdrawn in a meeting, the meticulously drafted letter that is never sent—a quiet prison built from the bricks of one's own assumed inadequacy.
Etymology
From Latin diffīdentiam (“distrust”), from diffīdere (“to mistrust”), from dis- and fīdere (“to trust”). Attested since ∼1400. The original sense was antonymous with confidence, and the modern sense of ‘distrusting oneself’ dates from the 1650s.
noun
- The state of being diffident, timid or shy; reticence or self-effacement.e.g.“Without scruple—without apology—without much apparent diffidence, Mr. Elton, the lover of Harriet, was professing himself her lover.” — 1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter 15, in Emma: […], volume I, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC:
- Mistrust, distrust, lack of confidence in someone or something.e.g.“[Charles, King of France]: We have been guided by thee hitherto,
And of thy cunning had no diffidence:
One sudden foil shall never breed distrust.” — 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Bl
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.