shrinking violet

Definition of shrinking violetnext
as in mouse
a shy or reserved person a reality show that wants shameless exhibitionists, not shrinking violets

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shrinking violet This spring there are no shrinking violets, only beguiling wallflowers. Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2026 Emanuel, hardly a subtle shrinking violet throughout his career, nevertheless explained why things were different. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025 Nobody would have called it that back in the 1960s, of course, but the man who shares a name with a Roman emperor (those guys weren't shrinking violets either) tends to be the biggest presence on any starship bridge. Richard Edwards, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2025 Viewers may be struck by Q’s physical capabilities, as this character is no shrinking violet. Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for shrinking violet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrinking violet
Noun
  • The fiber-optic drones are the latest part of a cat-and-mouse race as Israel’s high-tech defenses race to intercept new threats, especially ones that are less sophisticated.
    ABC News, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Sasha is then forced to play a ritualistic cat-and-mouse game that Robbins considers to be his homage to Deliverance (1972) and The River Wild (1994).
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Jonsson plays Taylor, a watchful, aged-beyond-his-years introvert who has spent 13 years behind bars on a manslaughter charge — missing almost the entire life of his teenage son Adam (Cole Martin), from whom the boy’s mother is determined to keep him estranged.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Osaka, the pioneering introvert, is an icon.
    Ava Wallace, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Shrinking violet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrinking%20violet. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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