- 1
When you do something diffidently, you do it in a shy way, as if you do not want people to look at you or talk about you. You hang back. You speak softly, or you offer an idea as if you are not sure anyone should listen. It is not and it is not : the person often cares a lot, but they do not want to take up space. You mostly meet the word in writing, or when someone is describing how a person spoke, smiled, or stood. It feels a little formal. In everyday talk people more often say shyly or . Though actually, shyly is not a perfect match: you can be shy and still be warm and open in a small way; diffidently has more of that “please don’t notice me” feeling.
羞怯地、不太敢引起注意地
組成From the adjective diffident (shy; not sure of yourself) + -ly, the usual ending that turns an adjective into an adverb: how you do the action.
同家族的字
- diffidentthe adjective this adverb is built from
- diffidencethe noun: that shy, holding-back quality
原始詞典資料1 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
diffidentlyadv/ˈdɪf.ɪ.dənt.li/
- 1
In a diffident manner; without confidence in oneself.
- The author too keenly feels that he has no further claims than these, and he therefore most diffidently asks for his work the indulgence of his readers.
- The same evening John Rossitter wrote to the Bishop of Nawaub, and very humbly and diffidently offered himself, his young life, his health and his strength, his talents and energies, his younger son's portion, all that God had given him, for his Master's use;
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。