Added 2 October 2026
diffidence
/ˈdɪfɪdəns/ noun
Latin root: diffīdentiam Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about diffidence at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- The state of being diffident, timid or shy; reticence or self-effacement.
- Mistrust, distrust, lack of confidence in someone or something.
Origin
From Latin diffīdentiam (“distrust”), from diffīdere (“to mistrust”), from dis- and fīdere (“to trust”). Attested since ∼1400. The original sense was antonymous with confidence, and the modern sense of ‘distrusting oneself’ dates from the 1650s.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)