sheepish

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sheep·ish

(shē′pĭsh)

adj.

1. Embarrassed, as by consciousness of a fault: a sheepish grin.

2. Meek or stupid.

sheep′ish·ly adv.

sheep′ish·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

sheepish

(ˈʃiːpɪʃ)

adj

1. abashed or embarrassed, esp through looking foolish or being in the wrong

2. resembling a sheep in timidity or lack of initiative

ˈsheepishly adv

ˈsheepishness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

sheep•ish

(ˈʃi pɪʃ)

adj.

1. embarrassed or bashful, esp. for having done something wrong or foolish.

2. like a sheep, as in meekness or docility.

[1150–1200]

sheep′ish•ly, adv.

sheep′ish•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	sheepish - like or suggestive of a sheep in docility or stupidity or meekness or timidity sheeplike docile - willing to be taught or led or supervised or directed; "the docile masses of an enslaved nation"
	2.	sheepish - showing a sense of shame shamefaced ashamed - feeling shame or guilt or embarrassment or remorse; "are you ashamed for having lied?"; "felt ashamed of my torn coat"

sheepish

adjective embarrassed, uncomfortable, ashamed, silly, foolish, self-conscious, chagrined, mortified, abashed, shamefaced He looked a little sheepish when he answered.
confident, bold, assertive, brash, audacious, brazen, unabashed, unapologetic, unembarrassed, brass-necked (Brit. informal), unblushing

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

خَجول، مُرْتَبِك

rozpačitý

fåret

belämmert blöd

βλάκας

embarrassé idiot stupide

kindarlegur

imbarazzato vergognoso

fåret

rozpačitý

mahcup utanmış

腼腆的

sheepish

[ˈʃiːpɪʃ] ADJ → avergonzado

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

sheepish

[ˈʃiːpɪʃ] adj [grin, look] → penaud(e)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

sheepish

adj → verlegen; I felt a bit sheepish about it → das war mir ein bisschen peinlich

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

sheepish

[ˈʃiːpɪʃ] adj (look, smile) → imbarazzato/a, mortificato/a

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

sheep

(ʃiːp) – plural sheep – noun

a kind of animal related to the goat, whose flesh is used as food and from whose wool clothing is made. a flock of sheep.

ˈsheepish adjective

embarrassed. a sheepish expression.

ˈsheepishly adverb

ˈsheepdog noun

a dog (of a kind often) trained to work with sheep.

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References in classic literature ?

Well, I felt sheepish enough to be took in so, but I wouldn't a been in that ringmaster's place, not for a thousand dollars.

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"Well, I got my boots on, and we went down and slipped in and laid the paper of sugar on the berth, and sat down soft and sheepish and went to listening to Bud Dixon snore.

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There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles, from the desperate to the sheepish; but there is one order of beauty which seems made to turn the heads not only of men, but of all intelligent mammals, even of women.

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Cronshaw, hearing her, turned a sheepish eye upon her; she was stout, matronly, and middle-aged; and solemnly kissed his hand to her.

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"I wish I had been there to see how sheepish the Englishmen looked."

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But the rams need only cease to suppose that all that happens to them happens solely for the attainment of their sheepish aims; they need only admit that what happens to them may also have purposes beyond their ken, and they will at once perceive a unity and coherence in what happened to the ram that was fattened.

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I am verily weary of it, ever thy sheepish shepherd to be.

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He indicated the two strangers, who shuffled their feet with embarrassment and looked more sheepish than ever.

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The great ruffian paused, then stopped, slowly a sheepish smile overspread his countenance and going upon one knee he took the hand of Norman of Torn and kissed it, as some great and loyal noble knight might have kissed his king's hand in proof of his love and fealty.

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"You were right, after all," he confessed, with a sheepish grin that sat incongruously on his stern, Indian-like features.

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Borckman's anger-convulsed face ludicrously attempted a sheepish, deprecating grin, and he was just mumbling, "We was only playing," when Jerry arrived back, leaped in the air, and sank his teeth into the offending hand.

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Precisely the same sheepish following of one given example distinguishes the ordering of genteel dinners.