Diffidence

n.	1.	The state of being diffident; distrust; want of confidence; doubt of the power, ability, or disposition of others. 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 address. - W. Irving.

Noun

1.

diffidence - lack of self-confidence Synonyms: self-distrust, self-doubt Antonyms: confidence - a feeling of trust (in someone or something); "I have confidence in our team"; "confidence is always borrowed, never owned"

Pyrrhonism, afraidness, apprehension, bashfulness, boggle, boggling, caution, cautiousness, compunction, demur, demurral, distrust, distrustfulness, doubt, doubtfulness, dubiety, dubiousness, falter, faltering, fearfulness, half-belief, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitating, hesitation, jumpiness, lack of self-confidence, lack of self-reliance, leeriness, misdoubt, misgiving, mistrust, mistrustfulness, modesty, objection, pause, protest, qualm, qualm of conscience, qualmishness, question, recoil, scruple, scrupulosity, scrupulousness, self-depreciation, self-detraction, self-distrust, self-doubt, self-effacement, shadow of doubt, shilly-shally, shilly-shallying, shrinking, shrinkingness, shyness, skepticalness, skepticism, skittishness, stage fright, startlishness, stickling, suspicion, suspiciousness, tentativeness, timidity, timorousness, total skepticism, uncertainty, wariness, weak ego