abash

verb

ə-ˈbash How to pronounce abash (audio)
Definition of abashnext
as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress felt terribly abashed when she walked into the wrong hotel room

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb abash contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of abash are discomfit, disconcert, embarrass, and rattle. While all these words mean "to distress by confusing or confounding," abash presupposes some initial self-confidence that receives a sudden check, producing shyness, shame, or a feeling of inferiority.

abashed by her swift and cutting retort

When can discomfit be used instead of abash?

Although the words discomfit and abash have much in common, discomfit implies a hampering or frustrating accompanied by confusion.

hecklers discomfited the speaker

In what contexts can disconcert take the place of abash?

The words disconcert and abash can be used in similar contexts, but disconcert implies an upsetting of equanimity or assurance producing uncertainty or hesitancy.

disconcerted by finding so many in attendance

When could embarrass be used to replace abash?

The meanings of embarrass and abash largely overlap; however, embarrass implies some influence that impedes thought, speech, or action.

the question embarrassed her so much she couldn't answer

When is rattle a more appropriate choice than abash?

While the synonyms rattle and abash are close in meaning, rattle implies an agitation that impairs thought and judgment.

rattled by all the television cameras

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abash Not easily abashed by body-shamers, Teigen has publicly posted next-to-naked topless photos in the past. — Megan Decker, Harper's BAZAAR, 22 May 2018 Hefner was good-natured but rather abashed, diffident, and shy. — Jeanie Pyun, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Oct. 2017 Peverelli seemed slightly abashed at the images’ potential elevation from commerce to art. — Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 22 May 2017 But there is also a sort of confused, abashed one, often ironic, that acknowledges a problem and tries to work through a particularly American obliviousness. — Jill McDonough, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abash
  1. embarrass
  2. confuse
  3. fluster
  4. disconcert
  5. rattle
Verb
  • Reese said the exercise left her upset with Smesko and worried about embarrassing herself in front of the team.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Over two games in Tampa, the Rays had embarrassed the Yankees – nearly no hitting them in Game 1 and putting the ball in play and watching the errors ensue in Game 2.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of embarrass
Verb
  • Bill Belichick has made a Hall of Fame career on confusing young quarterbacks.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Splitter praises his movement on and off the ball, which seems to visibly confuse opposing defenses.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of confuse
Verb
  • Milwaukee tends to fluster opponents by dictating the action in a way no other offense does.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Chicago rallied from a 2-0 hole after being flustered by Marlins starter Janson Junk, who threw five scoreless innings.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of fluster
Verb
  • One of the first chatbots, Eliza, built at MIT in the mid-1960s, ran a therapy script called DOCTOR that asked users questions about their feelings and experiences—and left its creator disconcerted about his technology’s strong emotional pull.
    — Steven Barrie-Anthony, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Rates of autism are rising to previously unseen levels, owing largely to better detection and new diagnostic criteria, but the numbers are still disconcerting.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of disconcert
Verb
  • At least 19 people have been killed, thousands of flights have been affected and global markets have been rattled.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The vast majority of attention will train on Manning, who looked rattled once again in his fourth season at Texas.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of rattle

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Cite this Entry

“Abash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abash. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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