diffidence

silence, muteness, obmutescence; taciturnity, pauciloquy, costiveness, curtness; reserve, reticence (concealment)., man of few words.

be silent; keep silence, keep mum; hold one's tongue, hold one's peace, hold one's jaw; not speak. [more]; say nothing, keep one's counsel; seal the lips, close the lips, button the lips, zipper the lips, put a padlock on the lips, put a padlock on the mouth; put a bridle on one's tongue; bite one's tongue, keep one's tongue between one's teeth; make no sign, not let a word escape one; keep a secret; not have a word to say; hush up, hush, lay the finger on the lips, place the finger on the lips; render mute., stick in one's throat.

silent, mute, mum; silent as a post, silent as a stone, silent as the grave (still) [more]; dumb; unconversable., taciturn, sparing of words; close-tongued; costive, inconversable, curt; reserved; reticent (concealing).