diffident
lacking confidence
Roots
- dis- / dif-: apart, away, not, reversal, or disruption
- fid: trust or faith
Other words with the fid root
- confidence: trust in oneself or something
- diffidence: lack of self-confidence
- faith: trust or belief kept
- fidelity: faithfulness or loyalty
- perfidious: treacherous or deliberately faithless
- perfidy: treachery or breach of faith
Fid means trust. Diffident people have trouble trusting their own footing.
Even with the right answer, he sounded diffident because his reasoning did not feel secure yet.