Etymology

mauvaise honte

Today it means: Shyness, especially when affected; false modesty. Full definition →

First used 18th c.French mauvaise honte
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The story

  1. French · derived frommauvaise honte
  2. English todaymauvaise honte

From French mauvaise honte.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 18th c. Shyness, especially when affected; false modesty.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.