Words / D / General

diffidence

noun/ˈdɪfɪdəns/

C2CEFR level
78/100Rarity: rare
FormalRegister

Shyness and a lack of self-confidence.

His natural diffidence made him reluctant to put himself forward for the promotion.

Similar: shyness, timidity, reticence

Topic: Emotion & the inner life in General English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

Get words like diffidence on your lock screen, a few a day, with review that makes them stick.

Download on the App Store Lexfall puts a new word on your home and lock screen through widgets, so you learn without opening an app. Free to download. After a free trial, a subscription unlocks every field. Built for iPhone, iOS 15.1 or later.
QR code that opens Lexfall on the App Store
On a computer?Scan with your iPhone camera.

More general words: Emotion & the inner life