ˈbashfəl, -aash-, -aish- adjective
Etymology: obsolete bash to be abashed (from Middle English basshen, short for abasshen ) + -ful — more at abash
1. : inclined to shrink from public attention : socially shy or timid : self-conscious , diffident
he hesitated, awkward and bashful , shifted his weight from one leg to the other — Jack London
they considered themselves a tough outfit and weren't bashful about letting anybody know it — F.B.Gipson
2. : characterized by, showing, or resulting from extreme sensitiveness, self-consciousness, or shyness
found that bashful words tumbling from his tongue's end really spelled themselves out into sensible talk — Carl Sandburg
Synonyms: see shy