diffidence
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Diffidence \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 diffidence of God's mercy. --Donne.
[1913 Webster]
2. Distrust of one's self or one's own powers; lack of
self-reliance; modesty; modest reserve; bashfulness.
[1913 Webster]
It is good to speak on such questions with
diffidence. --Macaulay.
[1913 Webster]
An Englishman's habitual diffidence and awkwardness
of address. --W. Irving.
Syn: Humility; bashfulness; distrust; suspicion; doubt; fear;
timidity; apprehension; hesitation. See {Humility}, and
{Bashfulness}.
[1913 Webster]
from
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
71 Moby Thesaurus words for "diffidence":
Pyrrhonism, afraidness, apprehension, bashfulness, boggle,
boggling, caution, cautiousness, compunction, demur, demurral,
distrust, distrustfulness, doubt, doubtfulness, dubiety,
dubiousness, falter, faltering, fearfulness, half-belief,
hesitance, hesitancy, hesitating, hesitation, jumpiness,
lack of self-confidence, lack of self-reliance, leeriness,
misdoubt, misgiving, mistrust, mistrustfulness, modesty, objection,
pause, protest, qualm, qualm of conscience, qualmishness, question,
recoil, scruple, scrupulosity, scrupulousness, self-depreciation,
self-detraction, self-distrust, self-doubt, self-effacement,
shadow of doubt, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, shrinking,
shrinkingness, shyness, skepticalness, skepticism, skittishness,
stage fright, startlishness, stickling, suspicion, suspiciousness,
tentativeness, timidity, timorousness, total skepticism,
uncertainty, wariness, weak ego
[email protected]