shrinking violet

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shrink·ing violet

(shrĭng′kĭng)
n. Informal
A shy or retiring person.
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.

shrinking violet

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

shrink′ing vi′olet


n.
a shy or self-effacing person.
[1925–30]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

shrinking violet

- Violets actually shrink as if they become shy, giving us this term.
See also related terms for shy.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.shrinking violet - someone who shrinks from familiarity with othersshrinking violet - someone who shrinks from familiarity with others
coward - a person who shows fear or timidity
wallflower - remains on sidelines at social event
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations

shrinking violet

n (inf: = shy person) → schüchternes Pflänzchen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
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References in periodicals archive
EILIS LACEY (Saoirse Ronan) is a shrinking violet in 1950s Ireland in Brooklyn (tonight, BBC1, 10.20pm).
As McGinn proved when he first played for Scotland, he is no shrinking violet when it comes to the big occasion.
SHRINKING violet Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) works in the toy section of a department store in Carol (tonight, Channel 4, 9pm).
O'Riordan is no shrinking violet and it just shows how tough the game is down there that he got such a serious injury.
Raj, no shrinking violet himself, now aims to give the company the reputation for being behind some of the most decadent and lavish ceremonies in the UK.
THIS Treacle Toffee large tote PS48, is roomy enough for all your essentials, from Betty & Walter (www.bettyandwalter.com) NO SHRINKING VIOLET...
Mike Dean's on the blower today, and the Wirral Whistler's no shrinking violet. Stan James' 4/5 about OVER 45 points is the gold among the day's short prices.
While Berlin frontwoman Terri Nunn has never been a shrinking violet, here the hetero-flexible songstress is going full sex bomb.
The company stated that the two films in question are the Witches of OZ - based on the works of author L Frank Baum, and Radio Rebel from Danielle Joseph's novel Shrinking Violet.
The comedian and actor has never exactly been a shrinking violet, and he's already discussed his many faults and achievements in two volumes of autobiography.
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