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diffidently + verb
该副词常放在动词前，强调动作是在胆怯或缺乏自信的状态下完成的。
She diffidently asked for a raise.
她胆怯地请求加薪。
胆怯地；缺乏自信地；踌躇地
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
胆怯地；缺乏自信地；踌躇地
diffidently
She diffidently asked for a raise.
她胆怯地请求加薪。
缺乏自信地；胆怯地
In a diffident manner; without confidence in oneself.
She diffidently raised her hand to answer the question.
她胆怯地举手回答问题。
He diffidently asked his boss for a day off.
他踌躇地向上司请求休一天假。
The intern diffidently offered her opinion during the meeting.
实习生胆怯地在会议上提出自己的看法。
该副词常放在动词前，强调动作是在胆怯或缺乏自信的状态下完成的。
She diffidently asked for a raise.
她胆怯地请求加薪。
副词也可放在不及物动词后，语义不变，但语气更自然。
He spoke diffidently about his achievements.
他缺乏自信地谈起自己的成就。
Not this
He gave her diffidently the book.
Use this
He gave her the book diffidently.
在 give sb sth 双宾语结构中，方式副词 diffidently 不能放在间接宾语 her 和直接宾语 the book 之间，应放在整个动词短语之后，即 the book 之后。
Not this
He answered the question in diffidently.
Use this
He answered the question diffidently.
diffidently 是副词，直接修饰动词 answered，前面不需要介词 in。‘in a diffident manner’是名词短语结构，而这里不是，因此要删去多余的 in。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
缺乏自信地问
She asked diffidently whether the report was ready.
她缺乏自信地问报告是否准备好了。
不自信地承认
He admitted diffidently that he had made a mistake.
他缺乏自信地承认自己犯了错。
腼腆地微笑
She smiled diffidently when the audience applauded.
观众鼓掌时，她腼腆地笑了笑。
胆怯地拒绝
He diffidently declined the invitation to speak.
他胆怯地拒绝了发言的邀请。
怯生生地走近
The new student diffidently approached the teacher's desk.
新同学怯生生地走近老师的讲台。
怯生生地说
He said diffidently that he was not sure about the answer.
他怯生生地说他不确定答案。
Use diffidently naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
联想 diffidently 里的 dent（凹痕）：自信上有了凹痕，行事就胆怯、缺乏自信地。
语域：formal 常见场景：formal prose、literary narration 该词为正式用语，通常见于书面叙述或文学描写，日常口语中较少使用。
严格来说，这些词都不与 diffidently 构成完整押韵（重读元音不同）。confidently 与它共享 -fidently- 的拼写和 /fɪdəntli/ 的读音；evidently 共享 /ɪdəntli/ 结尾；prudently 共享 -dently /dəntli/。differently 和 frequently 是拼写陷阱：differently 读 /ˈdɪfər-/，frequently 的 -ently 读 /kwəntli/，都没有 /dəntli/。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.