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The Difference Between Abashed and Unabashed
To abash someone is to shake up their self-possession, as illustrated by Charlotte Brontë in her 1849 novel Shirley: "He had never blushed in his life; no humiliation could abash him." When you are unabashed you make no apologies for your behavior (nor do you attempt to hide or disguise it), but when you are abashed your confidence has been thrown off and you may feel rather inferior or ashamed of yourself. English speakers have been using abashed to describe feelings of embarrassment since the 14th century, but they have only used unabashed (brazenly or otherwise) since the 15th century (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
Examples of unabashed in a Sentence
Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Still, the way the doc lingers on its unabashed celebration of Candy’s life and work yet rushes through its brief examination of his psyche prevents it from being a total knockout.
—Beandrea July, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
This is a bald-faced, unabashed attack on the democratic values our country was founded on and the people of Texas are being betrayed by their Republican representatives.
—Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
There was an unabashed openness about altering one’s appearance, not just in advertisements and commercials but in casual conversation, too.
—Jane Ciabattari
august 26, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unabashed
Cite this Entry
“Unabashed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unabashed. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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