Words / D / General

diffident

adjective/ˈdɪfɪdənt/

C2CEFR level
65/100Rarity: rare
FormalRegister

Shy and lacking in self-confidence.

A diffident speaker, he avoided the podium.

Similar: shy, timid, self-effacing

Origin: Latin diffidere 'to distrust'.

Topic: Mind & character 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.

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More general words: Mind & character