Basic Details
Word: Diffident
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Shy and not confident about yourself or your ability; slow to speak up or put yourself forward.
Synonyms: shy, timid, unsure, hesitant
Antonyms: confident, bold
How to Spell Diffident
Syllables: dif - fi - dent
Tricky part: It has a double f, and the ending is dent, not dant. Students also confuse it with different.
Watch out for: difident, diffidant, deffident
Memory tip: Diffident is the opposite of confident, and both end in dent. The double f fits a child too Frightened to Face the class.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Riya was diffident on her first day but made two friends by lunch.
Example 2: The diffident boy spoke so softly that the teacher had to lean closer.
Example 3: Though diffident about singing, he agreed to join the school choir.
Fun Fact
Diffident and confident share the Latin root fidere, to trust. Confident people trust themselves; diffident people are not so sure.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word: diffident
a) shy
b) hesitant
c) confident
d) timid
Show answer
c) confident. A confident person believes in themselves, while a diffident one holds back.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) incident
b) difident
c) obedient
d) evident
Show answer
b) difident. Diffident needs a double f.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
dfneiditf
a) diffident
b) difficult
c) different
d) deficient
Show answer
a) diffident. The letters have two d's and no r, so the word is diffident, not different.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The diffidant girl hesitated for a long moment before raising her hand to answer.
a) hesitated
b) diffidant
c) moment
d) raising
Show answer
b) diffidant. Like confident, diffident ends in ent.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A diffident person is usually ____.
a) rich and famous
b) loud and boastful
c) shy and unsure
d) angry and rude
Show answer
c) shy and unsure
2. What could help a diffident pupil?
a) kind encouragement from the teacher
b) being laughed at
c) a harder test
d) a louder bell
Show answer
a) kind encouragement from the teacher
