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Oct 7, 2014
This week's theme
Words to describe people

This week's words
lubricious
diffident
virulent
convivial
orgulous

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A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

diffident

PRONUNCIATION:
(DIF-i-duhnt)

MEANING:
adjective:
1. Restrained or reserved.
2. Lacking in self-confidence.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin diffidere (to mistrust), from dis- (not) + fidere (to trust). Ultimately from the Indo-European root bheidh- (to trust), which also gave us abide, abode, fiancé, affidavit, confide, confident, defiance, fidelity, defy, and infidel. Earliest documented use: 1598.

USAGE:
"In contrast with Albert's bonhomie, Philippe seems shy and diffident."
Sire, There are No Belgians; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 27, 2013.

See more usage examples of diffident in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
It's surprising how much memory is built around things unnoticed at the time. -Barbara Kingsolver, novelist, essayist, and poet (b. 1955)

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