shrinking violet

== English == === Etymology === Possibly from the inconspicuous nature of the violet (genus Viola) flower and plant. The term appears to have been first used in the literal sense in the early 19th century. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈʃɹɪŋkɪŋ ˈvaɪələt/, /ˈʃɹɪŋkɪŋ ˈvaɪlət/, /-lɪt/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈʃɹɪŋkɪŋ ˈvaɪələt/, /ˈʃɹɪŋkɪŋ ˈvaɪlət/ Hyphenation: shrink‧ing vio‧let === Noun === shrinking violet (plural shrinking violets) (idiomatic) A very shy or timid person, who avoids contact with others if possible. [from early 19th c.] ==== Usage notes ==== Often in the negative form no shrinking violet. ==== Synonyms ==== See Thesaurus:shy person ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== wallflower === References === === Further reading === Shrinking Violet on Wikipedia.Wikipedia “shrinking violet”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.