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To be distrustful. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

The state of being diffident; distrust; want of confidence; doubt of the power, ability, or disposition of others. [Archaic] That affliction grew heavy upon me, and weighed me down even to a diffidence of God's mercy. Donne.

See Diffidence. [Obs.]

Wanting confidence in others; distrustful. [Archaic] You were always extremely diffident of their success. Melmoth.

In a diffident manner. To stand diffidently against each other with their thoughts in battle array. Hobbes.

Not confident; diffident; wanting confidence or thrust; modest; as, distrustful of ourselves, of one's powers. Distrustful sense with modest caution speaks. Pope.

ion, state, or quality; also, that which relates to the action or state; as in emergence, diffidence, diligence, influence, difference, excellence. See -ance.

Without face or front; shameless; not diffident; impudent. [Obs.] "Frontless vice." Dryden. "Frontless flattery." Pope.

ent emotion; spasmodic passion or action; a convulsion; a fit. The returning paroxysms of diffidence and despair. South.

wn, That two such noble peers as ye should jar! Shak. [I] have brought scandal To Israel, diffidence of God, and doubt In feeble hearts. Milton.

Want of confidence in one' self; diffidence.

Easily confused or put out of countenance; diffident; bashful; modest. Your shamefaced virtue shunned the people's prise. Dryden.

A modest, diffident look; a loving glance; -- commonly in the plural. I saw her just now give him the languishing eye, as they call it; . . . of old called the sheep's-eye. Wycherley.

Like a sheep; bashful; over-modest; meanly or foolishly diffident; timorous to excess. Wanting change of company, he will, when he comes abroad, be a sheepish or conceited creature. Locke. -- Sheep"ish*ly, adv. -- Sheep"ish*ness, n.

To mollify; to make less fierce or intractable. Diffidence conciliates the proud, and softens the severe. Rambler.

abilual silence, or reserve in speaking. The cause of Addison's taciturnity was a natural diffidence in the company of strangers. V. Knox. The taciturnity and the short answers which gave so much offense. Macaulay.