MODEST, MODESTLY, MODESTY
ADJECTIVES
– BACKGROUND retiring; shy; modest …1896 colloq.
– BACKLINS modest …1932 Sc.
– BLAIT shy, sheepish; modest, retiring …Bk1911 Sc.
– DAFFISH sheepish, shy, modest …1804 Eng. dial.
– MANNERLY † seemly, decent, respectable, modest …a1300
– MEEVERLY mild; of a gentle or modest disposition; shy, bashful; sparing in eating and drinking …1819 Eng. dial.
– MELCH modest …1790 Eng. dial.
– MENSEFUL becoming, proper, seemly, modest, discreet; creditable to a man, decent, respectable …1790 Sc. & Eng. dial.
– MIM prim, demure; affectedly modest or shy; prudish; primly silent or reticent …1641 Sc. & Eng. dial.
– MODEST-HAVIOURED modestly behaved …1878
– MODESTIOUS †* modest, chaste in habits …1547
– PUDENT * having a sense of shame or decency; modest; delicate …1908
– PUDIBUND * modest, bashful, prudish …1656
– PUDIBUNDOUS † shame-faced; bashful; modest …1656
– SCARE easily frightened, timid; wild; shy, affectedly modest …1781 Sc. & Eng. dial.
– SELF-EFFACIVE modest, retiring …1883 nonce word
– SHAMEFACED modest, bashful, shy …M16
– SHAMEFAST † showing shame; abashed, bashful, modest …c897
– SMOOTY-FACED shy, bashful, modest, shame-faced …B1900 Eng. dial.
– TIMOROUS † modest, reverential …1474
– UNBUMPTIOUS modest, humble …1865
– VERECUND modest, bashful; shy, coy …c1550
– VERECUNDIOUS † accompanied by modesty; modest, bashful, shy, coy …a1639
– VERECUNDOUS modest, shamefaced, demure …1656
ADVERBS
1750 ► MEEVERLY modestly, handsomely → Eng. dial.
1790 ► MEETERLY handsomely, modestly, agreeably → Eng. dial.
1911 ► BLEETLY modestly → Sc. (Bk.)
NOUNS
1605 ► PUDENCY modesty; bashfulness; shamefacedness
1721 ► VERECUNDITY modesty, bashfulness
1727 ► VERECUNDNESS modesty, bashfulness
NOUNS, PERSON
1400 ► SIMPLE a person of modest unassuming manners → obs.
PHRASES
1913 ► BAG YOUR HEAD be more modest → Amer. dial. (Bk.)
VERBS
1835 ► FLY LOW to be modest and retiring → colloq.
1858 ► HIDE ONE’S LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL to be modest, not to make a display of one’ s ability
1913 ► HOLD CLOSE TO THE WILLOWS to act cautiously and conservatively; to be conventional, conservative, or modest → Amer. dial.
1970 ► WALK SOFT to behave modestly → African-American sl.
Lexicophilia 