Make (someone) feel embarrassed, disconcerted, or ashamed.
‘if anything was officially done or said to him, it did not abash him’
‘they have taken great delight in abashing critics’
‘I was too abashed, too embarrassed that I had actually asked something like that!’
‘Katherine was slightly abashed at his forwardness and lingered outside of the house, not really wanting to go in.’
‘She was somewhat abashed when I pointed out that I had already done so in 1997!’
‘He saw that she was not abashed and glared even more.’
‘Alright, so most teenagers wouldn't admit to having such a geeky passion, but I wasn't abashed in the least.’
‘I did not know what to say, for I was abashed by the thought.’
‘Instead, he fled the country until, abashed by a public outcry and newspaper appeals to find him, he contacted his family and his father fetched him home.’
‘‘Funnily enough, yes, I am,’ he answered, not at all abashed by my question.’
‘He didn't seem the least abashed that water was running down his chin and onto his clothes and that the people who were passing by were giving him weird looks.’
‘Clearing his throat, the man sent her a truly abashed expression.’
‘They all filed in and sat down in the chairs, looking slightly abashed that they had been caught.’
‘To her credit, the blond looked slightly abashed.’
‘When Jo saw who it was, she looked slightly abashed.’
‘The young lady looked abashed and stepped back consciously into the shadows.’
‘My eyes met hers briefly, and I looked away, abashed at being caught gazing.’
‘‘I just know I forgot to turn the water off,’ she whispered, abashed.’
‘The punky couple gave me a disdainful look, and I could only slink out abashed.’
‘But she grinned and looked abashed, and muttered something about her grandchildren.’
‘Others are less abashed about hiding what they see as flaws.’
‘She instantly looked abashed and bowed her head.’
Origin
Middle English from Anglo-Norman French abaiss-; compare with Old French esbaiss-, lengthened stem of esbair, from es- ‘utterly’ + bair ‘astound’.
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