diffident

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In “One of Us,” Elizabeth Day’s shrewd novel of political ambition and personal retribution, the unlikely avenger is a diffident British art historian.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

But the overarching tone, across the board, is oddly diffident.

From Slate • Apr. 25, 2025

Conservative leadership contender James Cleverly claims he has been "underestimated" throughout his political career because he has been too "diffident" about his achievements.

From BBC • Sep. 13, 2024

Until now, Scott has been a largely diffident presence in the movies, having distinguished himself most prominently as a masterly TV foil: the Moriarty to Benedict Cumberbatch’s “Sherlock,” the “hot priest” to Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s “Fleabag.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 20, 2023

Pigeons could be made to look like roosters and peacocks, and dogs made short-haired, long-haired, pied, piebald, bowlegged, hairless, crop-tailed, vicious, mild-mannered, diffident, guarded, belligerent.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee