sheepish
Meekly self-conscious look
Sheepish describes the awkward embarrassment of someone caught doing something foolish or mildly wrong.
A sheepish grin or sheepish look acknowledges the awkwardness without deep shame: He gave a sheepish shrug when I caught him eating cake for breakfast.
The word suggests meekness and self-consciousness, like a sheep that knows it's wandered somewhere it shouldn't.
Uncomfortably self-conscious
- abashedEmbarrassed and disconcerted
- chagrinedDistressed by disappointment
- mortifiedIntensely embarrassed
- shamefacedShowing visible embarrassment
red-faced · blushing · flustered · awkward · self-conscious · discomfited · crestfallen · humiliated
Feeling guilt over misdeeds
- remorsefulFeeling guilt for wrongdoing
- penitentOne showing remorse
- sorryExpressing regret or apology
- regretfulFeeling sorrow over actions
repentant · guilty · ashamed · compunctious · conscience-stricken · guilt-ridden · meek · humble
bashful
Uncomfortably self-conscious
- abashedEmbarrassed and disconcerted
- chagrinedDistressed by disappointment
- mortifiedIntensely embarrassed
shamefaced · red-faced · blushing · flustered · awkward · self-conscious · discomfited · crestfallen · humiliated · hangdog
contrite
Feeling guilt over misdeeds
- remorsefulFeeling guilt for wrongdoing
- penitentOne showing remorse
- sorryExpressing regret or apology
regretful · repentant · guilty · ashamed · compunctious · conscience-stricken · guilt-ridden · meek · humble · subdued
shy
Reserved and retiring
reticent · reserved · retiring · hesitant · tentative · unassertive · mousy · shrinking · meek · mild
- animal-likeapish, apelike, avian, beastly, birdlike
- awkward momentsoops, cringe, embarrassment, yikes, awkward
- embarrassmentembarrassed, blush, humiliated, mortify, mortified
- humilityhumbleness, humble, meekness, modesty, modest
- animal expressionslet sleeping dogs lie, raining cats and dogs, curiosity killed cat, horse sense, wild goose chase
- timiditybashfulness, shyness, timidness, timorousness, meekness
sheepishunashamed
Lacking guilt or remorse
shameless · unembarrassed · brazen · unabashed · unblushing