Shrinking Violet

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Casual
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Meaning: Excessively shy person

过度害羞的人
Persona excesivamente tímida
極度に引っ込み思案な人
극도로 수줍음을 타는 사람

Timid, avoids attention.

胆小怕事,回避关注。
Tímida, evita llamar la atención.
臆病で、注目を避ける。
소심하고 주목받는 것을 피하는.

Examples

  1. She's no shrinking violet.
    她可不是什么害羞的人
    ella no es ninguna tímida
    彼女は引っ込み思案な人ではない
    그녀는 수줍어하는 사람이 아니다.

Pronunciation

/ˈʃrɪŋkɪŋ ˈvaɪələt/

Usage Guide

Context: shyness

Tone: descriptive

✓ Do Say

  • No shrinking violet
    不是胆小鬼
    no es nada tímida
    引っ込み思案ではない
    결코 수줍어하지 않는 사람

✗ Don't Say

  • Often negative
    通常是负面含义
    A menudo negativo
    しばしばネガティブな意味
    보통 부정적인 뉘앙스

Common Mistakes

Origin & History

From the violet flower in shade.

Cultural Context

Era: 19th century

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Common expression

Regional notes: Universal.

Variations

Shrinking violet

Related Phrases

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Dodgy ★★★★★ Suspicious, unreliable, or of poor quality Rubbish ★★★★★ Bad, worthless, nonsense (British) Cheeky ★★★★★ Impudent in an endearing way; playfully rude Legit ★★★★★ Legitimate, real, genuine Random ★★★★★ Strange, unexpected, out of place Sus ★★★★★ Suspicious, not trustworthy, questionable
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