sheepish

[ shee-pish ]

/ ˈʃi pɪʃ /

embarrassed or bashful, as by having done something wrong or foolish.

like sheep, as in meekness, docility, etc.

Origin of sheepish

First recorded in 1150–1200, sheepish is from the Middle English word shepisshe. See sheep, -ish¹

sheep·ish·ly, adverb sheep·ish·ness, noun

One afternoon he noticed me sheepishly looking at the screen.

How Peter Worthington Taught His Grandson to Love Baseball |David Frum |May 23, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Avoid if possible; the phrase “[x] was caught lying and sheepishly acknowledged it” is preferable.

Exclusive! The Words That Journalists Overuse |Michael Moynihan |February 1, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
When asked shortly after sitting down about his (now slightly faded) purple hair, he sheepishly replied, “My mom does it.”

Too Gay for Hip-Hop? Le1f Takes On Traditionally Homophobic Genre |Melissa Leon |August 10, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
Upper-income people,” he sheepishly told CNN, “will have to contribute to long-term debt reduction.

Does Barack Obama Need a Friend Like Bill Clinton? |Robert Shrum |June 11, 2012 |DAILY BEAST

If you ask for it sheepishly, you might as well not ask at all.

Mika Brzezinski on Knowing Your Value |Lizzie Crocker |May 10, 2011 |DAILY BEAST
The woodsman straightened himself up, taken by surprise, and sheepishly shook the blood from his hand.

The Secret Trails |Charles G. D. Roberts
He hunted out Goldsmith's final cheque, and tendered it sheepishly.

The Grandchildren of the Ghetto |Israel Zangwill
Lady Levett beckoned to him, and he came towards us sheepishly bold, as is the way with rustic gentlemen.

The Chaplain of the Fleet |Walter Besant and James Rice
"I don' know's I want the girls to get ahead of me," he said sheepishly.

Strangers and Wayfarers |Sarah Orne Jewett
"I didn't suppose there was any heat up here, twenty foot from the fire," replied the old man, sheepishly.

Freaks of Fortune |Oliver Optic

sheepish

/ (ˈʃiːpɪʃ) /

abashed or embarrassed, esp through looking foolish or being in the wrong

resembling a sheep in timidity or lack of initiative

sheepishly, adverb sheepishness, noun