as in shy
not comfortable around people
a sheepish scholar who is most comfortable when surrounded by books
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sheepish
Even Eilish, who was 18 at the time, seemed sheepish about the size of her haul that night.
—
Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 29 Jan. 2026
If the rookie's intent is to keep playing in order to become more comfortable and get into a groove, that's something he can be commended on, as there are players in the NFL who may become sheepish about starting the week after their first start yields poor individual results.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Putting it simply, Mackenzie’s a dork; a sheepish science guy whose awe of Samus and bumbling demeanor set the duo up as a typical odd couple.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2025
My protagonist feels similarly sheepish about her inability to master another language.
—Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sheepish
Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 29 Jan. 2026
If the rookie's intent is to keep playing in order to become more comfortable and get into a groove, that's something he can be commended on, as there are players in the NFL who may become sheepish about starting the week after their first start yields poor individual results.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Putting it simply, Mackenzie’s a dork; a sheepish science guy whose awe of Samus and bumbling demeanor set the duo up as a typical odd couple.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2025
My protagonist feels similarly sheepish about her inability to master another language.
—Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sheepish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sheepish
Adjective
-
Soto finished a triple shy of the cycle.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The contest, which awards half of the pot to a winner and donates the other half to charity after expenses, has sold just shy of $350 million (C$472 million) in tickets since 2001, resulting in about $175 million (C$236 million) in prizes for residents of Alberta.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Parents report that many children stop eating, lose weight and become withdrawn.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
6 Feb. 2026
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Along the way, Babilonia matured from the shy withdrawn child who refused to hold a boy’s hand into a bold, strong and confident woman.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The bashful display marks rock-bottom for Gabbard’s career.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, some of Brady’s former teammates with the Patriots weren’t bashful about their loyalty heading into Super Bowl LX between the Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, including Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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King is the lone remaining healthy starter among the three that were expected to anchor the rotation.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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Poorna Jagannathan, whose turn as the formidable crime-boss auntie Lucky has been a fan favorite, will be the lone supporting comedy actress submission.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sheepish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sheepish. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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