shrinking violet
4
8.1
- idiom
- /ˈʃrɪŋkɪŋ ˈvaɪlɪt/
- Informal
:
persona tímida
- Despite her accomplishments, she prefers to stay quiet and avoid attention, which is why she is often seen as a shrinking violet.
- shrinking violet," says
I wasn't that shrinking Violet when I met the narcissist.
- I wasn't that shrinking Violet when I met the narcissist.
Examples
-
She definitely does not come off as a shrinking violet to me.
Blog text (26) -
Of course she replied to his letters, the shrinking violet, my father says.
Fiction book (2002) -
Sharon turned at last to the shrinking violet at the foot of the bed.
Fiction book (1996) -
Now's not the time to be a shrinking violet.
Blog text (3) -
Greta Christina's no shrinking violet.
Blog text (14) -
Not at all a shrinking violet as Tito made her out to be, Luciana is a woman who knows how to get what she wants.
Academic text (1997) -
I found that dating men who are into traditional gender norms just didn't work for me because I am no shrinking violet at all.
Blog text (19) -
Stemberg also said that Mitt Romney was no shrinking violet and wasn't concerned about his friend entering politics when he decided to run for governor of Massachusetts.
Blog text (9) -
At the party, he remained a shrinking violet, standing in the corner and watching everyone else dance.
-
He is no shrinking violet; he speaks up about his opinions even when they are controversial.
Synonyms
54
7.8
A quiet, shy person who is easily overlooked
4
2.5
A person who feels nervous around others and avoids social situations
3
9.9
A person who is very shy and does not speak up
Antonyms
How Shy
22
7.8
- Informal
4
8.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
shrink + violet
The adjective 'shrinking' clearly suggests recoiling or timidity, and 'violet' evokes smallness/delicacy, so a learner who knows both words could partially infer a meaning related to being timid. However, the specific idiomatic use (flower/color + shrinking = a shy person) relies on cultural metaphorical knowledge and is not fully predictable, so the sense may not be obvious without prior exposure.
Etymology
The idiom shrinking violet may come from the small flower violet and the idea of shrinking back. Violets are tiny and often hide under leaves, so they seem quiet and shy, and that's why the phrase means 'a very shy person' who avoids attention.