Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In a sheepish manner; bashfully; with mean timidity or diffidence; sillily.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb In a sheepish way; meekly; self-consciously; with embarrassment.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb in a sheepish manner

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From sheepish +‎ -ly.

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Examples

  • “Thank you,” he calls sheepishly, locking the car and pocketing the keys; not surprisingly, the only response is a burst of disembodied laughter.

    THE BOYS FROM SANTA CRUZ Jonathan Nasaw 2010

  • “Thank you,” he calls sheepishly, locking the car and pocketing the keys; not surprisingly, the only response is a burst of disembodied laughter.

    THE BOYS FROM SANTA CRUZ Jonathan Nasaw 2010

  • “Thank you,” he calls sheepishly, locking the car and pocketing the keys; not surprisingly, the only response is a burst of disembodied laughter.

    THE BOYS FROM SANTA CRUZ Jonathan Nasaw 2010

  • “Thank you,” he calls sheepishly, locking the car and pocketing the keys; not surprisingly, the only response is a burst of disembodied laughter.

    THE BOYS FROM SANTA CRUZ Jonathan Nasaw 2010

  • This New Year crept in sheepishly dragging behind it last year's pain.

    Happy? New Year Sharon Bakar 2005

  • This New Year crept in sheepishly dragging behind it last year's pain.

    Archive 2005-01-01 Sharon Bakar 2005

  • "Right away," he called sheepishly, muttering, "Be back in a moment," to Flint before hurrying to the table.

    Flint, the King Kirchoff, Mary 2003

  • "Right away," he called sheepishly, muttering, "Be back in a moment," to Flint before hurrying to the table.

    Flint the King Kirchoff, Mary 1990

  • "But I sometimes feel I'm doing something haram," she said sheepishly, using the Arabic word for banned.

    Barking Moonbat Early Warning System 2008

  • "But I sometimes feel I'm doing something haram," she said sheepishly, using the Arabic word for banned.

    - Latest Popular Stories, Instablogs Community 2008

Comments

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  • "Like in the chocolate ads, only I forgot the box of chocolates..." He shrugged sheepishly.

    — On Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams.

    June 22, 2008

  • "Well no. I think it was new in the early sixties- Or late fifties at the earliest," he admitted sheepishly. --Twilight, Stephenie Meyer, pg.7

    October 1, 2010