abashed

UK: /əˈbæʃt/ US: /əˈbæʃt/ ,(ə basht′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

a•bashed  (ə basht′), adj. 

1. ashamed or embarrassed; disconcerted:
   My clumsiness left me abashed.

• 1300–50; Middle English; see abash, -ed²

a•bash•ed•ly  (ə bash′id lē), adv.  a•bash′ed•ness, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

abashed / əˈbæʃt/ adjective

1. ill at ease, embarrassed, or confused; ashamed

aˈbashedly adverb

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

a•bashed /əˈbæʃt/   adj. 

1. [usually: be + ~] feeling embarrassed or ashamed:
   I am abashed to confess it was my fault.

a•bash•ed•ly /əˈbæʃɪdli/  adv. 
a•bash•ment, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

a•bash  (ə bash′), v.t. 

1. to destroy the self-confidence, poise, or self-possession of;
   disconcert;
   make ashamed or embarrassed:
   to abash someone by sneering.

• Vulgar Latin *batāre; compare bay², bay³)
• dialect, dialectal Old French abacher, Old French abaissier to put down, bring low (see abase), perh. conflated with Anglo-French abaiss-, long stem of abair, Old French esba(h)ir to gape, marvel, amaze (es- ex-¹ + -ba(h)ir, alteration of baer to open wide, gape
• Middle English abaishen 1275–1325

a•bash′ment, n. 
Synonyms

shame, discompose, embarrass.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

abash / əˈbæʃ/ verb

1. (tr; usually passive) to cause to feel ill at ease, embarrassed, or confused; make ashamed

Etymology: 14th Century: via Norman French from Old French esbair to be astonished, from es- out + bair to gape, yawn