The term “abashed” is deployed by authors to reveal moments of self-conscious embarrassment and vulnerability. In some works it marks a formal admission of humility when confronted by lofty figures or situations—for instance, a character’s bashfulness in the face of poetic grandeur or moral censure [1, 2]. In other narratives, it signifies a more personal, often sudden, awkwardness or chagrin, as characters respond to social missteps or unexpected encounters [3, 4, 5]. Across differing eras and styles—from classical epics to modern novels—the word serves as a subtle indicator of internal conflict, bridging the external pressures of decorum with the raw, human reaction of feeling exposed or diminished [6, 7, 8].