Word of the day, 22 September 2025: ‘Sheepishly’

Word of the day: SHEEPISHLY 

Pronunciaton: uk /ˈʃiː.pɪʃ.li/  us /ˈʃiː.pɪʃ.li/

Meaning

Sheepishly describes an action done in an embarrassed, awkward, shy, or self-conscious way.

Origin

The adverb sheepishly comes from the adjective sheepish.

The word first appeared around the late 12th century in Middle English as ‘shepisshe’, meaning to resemble a sheep in qualities like meekness and docility. By the late 1600s, the adjective had evolved to describe being bashful, awkward, or embarrassed.

Examples from literature

• She sees me notice her checking her watch and grins sheepishly. – Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
• The dealer sheepishly smiled back and didn’t say a word. – If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Synonyms

• Bashfully
• Embarrassed
• Awkwardly
• Self-consciously
• Abashed