Pronunciation: [ʃˈiːpɪʃli] (IPA) 
"Sheepishly" is spelled with six letters and pronounced as /ˈʃiːpɪʃli/. The word has two syllables: "sheep" and "ish-ly". The first syllable "sheep" is pronounced with the "sh" sound and has a long "ee" sound. The second syllable "ish-ly" is pronounced with a short "i" sound and a "sh" sound followed by "-ly" which sounds like "lee". The word means showing embarrassment or remorse, with a downcast or shy look.
Sheepishly is an adverb that describes someone's behavior or demeanor when they feel embarrassed, awkward, or self-conscious. This word is closely associated with the image of a sheep, which is known for its timid and easily intimidated nature. When someone behaves sheepishly, they display a subdued or bashful attitude, often accompanied by a lack of confidence or a sense of guilt.
In everyday language, sheepishly can be used to describe someone who is acting in a timid or embarrassed manner, often characterized by avoiding eye contact, mumbling, or blushing. It implies a sense of discomfort or uneasiness, as if the person is aware of their own awkwardness or mistake and is therefore unsure of how to proceed.
For example, imagine a person who accidentally spills a drink at a party. They may look down at the spilt drink, shuffle their feet, and offer an apologetic smile, sheepishly attempting to clean up the mess they caused. This behavior reflects their embarrassment and regret over the situation.
Overall, sheepishly captures the essence of someone who is feeling sheepish, often due to an awkward or embarrassing situation, and portrays the hesitant, self-conscious, and timid demeanor they exhibit.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "sheepishly" is derived from the base word "sheepish", which originated in the late 16th century. It comes from the Middle English word "schepe", meaning "sheep", combined with the suffix "-ish", indicating a resemblance to something or someone. The term "sheepish" was initially used to describe the behavior or appearance of sheep, particularly their timid and docile nature. Over time, it was then adopted to describe human behavior, specifically when someone feels embarrassed, shy, or ashamed. The adverb form "sheepishly" simply adds the suffix "-ly" to "sheepish" to create an adverbial form.
