Abashment
to destroy the self-confidence, poise, or self-possession of; disconcert; make ashamed or embarrassed:
to abash someone by sneering.
Historical Examples
He will tell you with pride rather than with abashment that he is an empleado—a State dependent.
The Philippine Islands John Foreman
Crimsoning, Alrek fell from his hill of scorn to the valley of abashment.
The Vinland Champions Ottilie A. Liljencrantz
It was the preacher, who with many excuses stepped in and with some abashment tried to grind out what he had to say.
On the Seaboard August Strindberg
The big fellow, his head hung in abashment, looked up pleadingly.
The Song of the Wolf Frank Mayer
And much to my abashment he and the old man fell upon my neck and kissed me on both cheeks.
Oriental Encounters Marmaduke Pickthall
The hot blood mounted to the boy’s cheek, whether in abashment or in anger would be impossible to say.
The Triumph of John Kars Ridgwell Cullum
Mr. Garland accepted the introduction with signs of abashment, but stated his business simply.
V. V.’s Eyes Henry Sydnor Harrison
If abashed at heart, at least the world should be uninformed of that abashment.
The Pace That Kills Edgar Saltus
As soon as Ned and I could recover from our abashment, we also said good morning.
Phaeton Rogers Rossiter Johnson
He dropped the hand that had been lightly resting on her arm, and his dapper air of self-confidence wilted in abashment.
Kilo Ellis Parker Butler
verb
(transitive; usually passive) to cause to feel ill at ease, embarrassed, or confused; make ashamed
v.
“perplex, embarrass,” early 15c., earlier “lose one’s composure, be upset” (late 14c.), from Old French esbaiss-, present stem of esbaer “gape with astonishment,” from es “out” (see ex-) + ba(y)er “to be open, gape,” from Latin *batare “to yawn, gape,” from root *bat, possibly imitative of yawning. Related: Abashed; abashing. Bashful is a 16c. derivative.
Read Also:
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inability to walk due to a limitation or absence of muscular coordination. abasia a·ba·sia (ə-bā’zhə) n. Inability to walk due to impaired muscular coordination. a·ba’sic (ə-bā’sĭk, -zĭk) or a·bat’ic (ə-bāt’ĭk) adj.
- Abasia trepidans
abasia trepidans abasia trepidans abasia trep·i·dans (trěp’ĭ-dānz’) n. Abasia due to trembling of the legs.
- Abasia-astasia
abasia-astasia abasia-astasia n. See astasia-abasia.
- Abat-jour
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. the slaughter of animals, especially the slaughter of diseased animals to prevent the infection of others.