[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

diffidence \dif"fidence\, n. l. diffidentia.
   1. the state of being diffident; distrust; want of
      confidence; doubt of the power, ability, or disposition of
      others. archaic
      1913 webster

            that affliction grew heavy upon me, and weighed me
            down even to a diffidence of god's mercy. --donne.
      1913 webster

   2. distrust of one's self or one's own powers; lack of
      self-reliance; modesty; modest reserve; bashfulness.
      1913 webster

            it is good to speak on such questions with
            diffidence.                           --macaulay.
      1913 webster

            an englishman's habitual diffidence and awkwardness
            of address.                           --w. irving.

   syn: humility; bashfulness; distrust; suspicion; doubt; fear;
        timidity; apprehension; hesitation. see humility, and
        bashfulness.
        1913 webster
see also:
humility bashfulness 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

diffidence
     n : lack of self-confidence syn: self-doubt, self-distrust
         ant: confidence
see also:
self-doubt self-distrust confidence 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

71 moby thesaurus words for "diffidence":
   pyrrhonism, afraidness, apprehension, bashfulness, boggle,
   boggling, caution, cautiousness, compunction, demur, demurral,
   distrust, distrustfulness, doubt, doubtfulness, dubiety,
   dubiousness, falter, faltering, fearfulness, half-belief,
   hesitance, hesitancy, hesitating, hesitation, jumpiness,
   lack of self-confidence, lack of self-reliance, leeriness,
   misdoubt, misgiving, mistrust, mistrustfulness, modesty, objection,
   pause, protest, qualm, qualm of conscience, qualmishness, question,
   recoil, scruple, scrupulosity, scrupulousness, self-depreciation,
   self-detraction, self-distrust, self-doubt, self-effacement,
   shadow of doubt, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, shrinking,
   shrinkingness, shyness, skepticalness, skepticism, skittishness,
   stage fright, startlishness, stickling, suspicion, suspiciousness,
   tentativeness, timidity, timorousness, total skepticism,
   uncertainty, wariness, weak ego

Diffidence >> D Words
Diffidence, definition of term: Diffidence
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