diffidence
dif·fi·dence/ˈdɪfɪdəns/noun
diffidence is spelled D-I-F-F-I-D-E-N-C-E: 10 letters and 3 syllables (dif·fi·dence). It appears about once in every 15 million words in written English, the 115,751st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, diffidence means “The state of being diffident, timid or shy; reticence or self-effacement” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of diffidence is diffidences.
How many letters and syllables are in diffidence?
| Letters | 10: D-I-F-F-I-D-E-N-C-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: dif·fi·dence |
| In writing | about once in every 15 million words; the 115,751st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is diffidence?
Diffidence appears about once in every 15 million words in written English, the 115,751st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce diffidence?
- /ˈdɪfɪdəns/
Diffidence has 3 syllables, split dif·fi·dence in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-diffidence.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of diffidence
- diffidences plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does diffidence mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The state of being diffident, timid or shy; reticence or self-effacement.
- 2
obsoleteMistrust, distrust, lack of confidence in someone or something.
I have no diffidence of your abilities–only be constant to one roguery at a time
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Diffidence in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | timidité |
| German | Zurückhaltung, Verlegenheit, Schüchternheit , Diffidenz |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does diffidence come from?
From Latin diffīdentiam (“distrust”), from diffīdere (“to mistrust”), from dis- and fīdere (“to trust”). Attested since ∼1400. The original sense was antonymous with confidence, and the modern sense of ‘distrusting oneself’ dates from the 1650s.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).