blate
- adjective
- Literature
- The blate child hid behind his mother.
Examples
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His blate manner made him seem distant at social gatherings.
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She grew blate in the company of strangers, speaking only when spoken to.
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Don't be so blate; everyone here is friendly and welcoming.
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She felt blate when asked to speak in front of the class.
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The blate child hid behind his mother during the school play.
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Always blate at parties, she preferred to observe rather than be the center of attention.
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He was too blate to ask questions in class, even when he didn't understand.
Synonyms
Shy and easily embarrassed, avoiding attention
Antonyms
How Shy
Surface Forms
Etymology
Blate comes from an old Scots word meaning 'gentle' or 'meek'. So, a blate person is shy and quiet and avoids being noticed.