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Diffident vs Retiring - What's the difference?

diffident | retiring | Related terms |

Diffident is a related term of retiring.


As adjectives the difference between diffident and retiring

is that diffident is (archaic): lacking confidence in others; distrustful while retiring is shy, introverted, liking privacy.

As a verb retiring is

.

As a noun retiring is

retirement.

diffident

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • (archaic): Lacking confidence in others; distrustful.
  • Lacking confidence in one's self; distrustful of one's own powers; not self-reliant; timid; modest; bashful; characterized by modest reserve.
  • *
    • Having therefore—but hold, as we are diffident of our own abilities, let us here invite a superior power to our assistance.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1960 , author= , title=(Jeeves in the Offing) , section=chapter VIII , passage=At an early point in these exchanges I had started to sidle to the door, and I now sidled through it, rather like a diffident crab on some sandy beach trying to avoid the attentions of a child with a spade.}}

    retiring

    English

    Adjective

    (head)
  • Shy, introverted, liking privacy.
    • I don't really know him well, since he's so shy and retiring .
  • About to retire.
    • Today is the party for our retiring co-workers.

    Verb

    (head)

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • retirement
  • * Francis Bacon
    • One day of those his retirings (SIC), giving out that he was sick, his father Antigonus came on the sudden to visit him, and met a fair dainty youth coming out of his chamber.