noun
shyness; bashfulness; self-consciousness
Refers to a feeling of shyness or embarrassment, often with a nuance of modest, endearing self-consciousness. Commonly used in contexts describing a person's demeanor or reaction.
彼女は恥じらいを見せながら微笑んだ。
She smiled with a hint of bashfulness.
若者の恥じらいがだんだん薄れている気がする。
I feel that young people's shyness is gradually fading.
Rarely used kanji form; 羞 is a less common character for this word.
Derived from the verb 恥じらう (to feel shy), which itself comes from 恥じる (to feel ashamed) with the suffix らう indicating a state or appearance. The exact historical development is uncertain.