as in shy
not comfortable around people
a sheepish scholar who is most comfortable when surrounded by books
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Recent Examples of sheepish
No one can argue with that, least of all the two company reps, both of whom by this point have been reduced to sheepish nods.
—
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 3 May 2024
Eventually, Ackles gives him a sheepish grin as the video ends.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 25 Apr. 2024
Bragg himself has seemed almost sheepish about the Trump case, preferring to talk about tackling wage theft or creating a jail-diversion program.
—Michael Rothfeld Emily Woo Zeller Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Norman Mailer wrote with an unstable mixture of self-indulgence and self-awareness, bravado and diffidence, glibness and bracing honesty, macho posturing and an almost sheepish gentleness.
—Andrew Delbanco, The New York Review of Books, 28 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sheepish
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 3 May 2024
Eventually, Ackles gives him a sheepish grin as the video ends.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 25 Apr. 2024
Bragg himself has seemed almost sheepish about the Trump case, preferring to talk about tackling wage theft or creating a jail-diversion program.
—Michael Rothfeld Emily Woo Zeller Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Norman Mailer wrote with an unstable mixture of self-indulgence and self-awareness, bravado and diffidence, glibness and bracing honesty, macho posturing and an almost sheepish gentleness.
—Andrew Delbanco, The New York Review of Books, 28 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sheepish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheepish
Adjective
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And some shy away from expressing controversial takes — even anonymously.—
James Mirtle,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
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They may be drawn to partners who provide excitement but shy away from relationships that require effort, compromise or emotional depth.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Solitary, eccentric, shrouded in a mystical melancholy, Joakim fights for his farm and leads a withdrawn life, with only his pets and a neighbor for company; a Slovak immigrant who also lives ostracized, as an outsider.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2025
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Hong’s withdrawn gaze is interrupted by sudden movements, like pans across space and crash zooms into ongoing conversations.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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McNally is professionally bashful about such associations.—
Matthew Schneier,
Vulture,
29 Jan. 2025
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Some of the folks were happy to have their pictures taken, while others were more bashful and/or private, preferring that only their watch be photographed.—
Allen Farmelo,
Robb Report,
26 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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She was confirmed by a party line vote of 52-46, with a lone Democrat Sen. Jacky Rosen voting in favor of her confirmation.—
Sudiksha Kochi,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
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The Knicks’ lone meeting with the Cavs came back in October, when Cleveland eked out a 110-104 victory at the Garden.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sheepish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sheepish. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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