Nota: A tradução desta entrada está atualmente em revisão de qualidade, portanto parte do conteúdo é exibida temporariamente apenas em inglês.
Este verbete ainda não foi traduzido para o seu idioma, portanto o original é exibido abaixo.
abash
This verb describes a specific type of social discomfort where a person is suddenly stripped of their confidence or composure. It carries a stronger sense of being "thrown off balance" or silenced by shame than the general word "embarrass," often implying a momentary state of shock or disorientation.
In modern English, this word is rarely used in its active form. It is far more common to encounter it as the past participle "abashed" acting as an adjective (e.g., "he looked abashed"). Using the active verb "to abash" in casual conversation may sound archaic or overly formal; it is primarily reserved for literary contexts or high-register writing.
Meanings
Examples
The sudden silence of the crowd seemed to abash him.
He was not easily abashed by the criticism of his peers.
Why does she always try to abash me in front of the boss?
The young knight felt the king's stern gaze abash his spirit.
I felt a sudden urge to hide, fearing the praise would abash me.
Nothing could abash the confidence of the seasoned detective.
The teacher tried not to abash the student when correcting the error.