bashful
Shy and easily embarrassed.
bashful in a sentence
- Too bashful to join the game, Omar watched from behind the climbing frame.
- The bashful singer blushed and hid behind the curtain when the audience cheered her name.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to bashful?
- Aconfident
- Bbold
- Cshy
- Dloud
Show the answer
C: shy. The other three mean the opposite of bashful.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to bashful?
- Ashy
- Btimid
- Cquiet
- Dbold
Show the answer
D: bold. The other three mean nearly the same as bashful.
Words that mean something similar
shy, timid, quiet
Words that mean the opposite
bold, confident, loud
Careful: bashful is not timid
Bashful people are embarrassed. Timid people are frightened. Read why children mix them up.
More words about character & personality
- belligerent: Angry and eager to fight or argue.
- benevolent: Kind and wanting to do good things for other people.
- biased: Unfairly favouring one side over another.
- bravado: A bold show of courage to hide how scared you really are.
- bystander: A person who watches something happen but does not take part.
- callous: Cruel and not caring about other people's feelings.
- candid: Honest and truthful, saying exactly what you really think.
- candidate: Someone who is trying to be chosen for a job, a prize or a place.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test