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diffident

[dif-i-duhnt] / ˈdɪf ɪ dənt /


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

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

Newey is a diffident, unassuming character for one of such extravagant gifts.

From BBC • Nov. 23, 2023

Compared to the diffident, incoherent speaker I had seen six months earlier in Southern California, he was unrecognizable.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden




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