timidity（名词）：胆怯；羞怯；缺乏自信的畏缩。常指在社交场合或面对压力时不敢表达、行动不果断的状态。（另有较少见用法可泛指“怯懦”）
/tamdti/
She spoke with timidity during the meeting.
她在会议上发言时显得很胆怯。
His timidity, shaped by years of harsh criticism, kept him from defending his ideas even when he was right.
他的胆怯源于多年严厉的批评经历，即使自己是对的，也仍不敢为观点辩护。
timidity 来自拉丁语词根 **tim-**（与“害怕”相关，见 timor “恐惧”），经由英语形容词 timid（胆小的）发展而来，再加上名词后缀 -ity（表示“状态、性质”），字面可理解为“胆小的状态”。
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