In 1511, leaders in Mecca believed coffee stimulated radical thinking and outlawed the drink. In 1524, the leaders overturned that order, and people could drink coffee again.
DIFFIDENCE
diffidence, self-doubt, self-distrust
(noun) lack of self-confidence
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
diffidence (countable and uncountable, plural diffidences)
The state of being diffident, timid or shy; reticence or self-effacement.
(obsolete) Mistrust, distrust, lack of confidence in someone or something.
Source: Wiktionary
Dif"fi*dence, n. Etym: [L. diffidentia.]
1. The state of being diffident; distrust; want of confidence; doubt of the power, ability, or disposition of others. [Archaic] That affliction grew heavy upon me, and weighed me down even to a diffidence of God's mercy. Donne.
2. Distrust of one's self or one's own powers; lack of self-reliance; modesty; modest reserve; bashfulness. It is good to speak on such questions with diffidence. Macaulay. An Englishman's habitual diffidence and awkwardness of adress. W. Irving.
Syn.
– Humility; bashfulness; distrust; suspicion; doubt; fear; timidity; apprehension; hesitation. See Humility, and Bashfulness.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
4 April 2025
GUILLOTINE
(verb) kill by cutting the head off with a guillotine; “The French guillotined many Vietnamese while they occupied the country”
Coffee Trivia
