Visual/Sound Association:
* Difficult to find your voice. Imagine someone struggling to speak up, making them seem diffident.
* Different finger. Picture someone pointing with a different finger than usual, making them seem shy and diffident.
Breakdown:
* Dif (like "difficult") can relate to the feeling of being diffident (having difficulty expressing yourself).
* Fident (like "confident") is the opposite of diffident.
Mnemonic Device:
* Don't Interrupt, For Fear I'll Displease. This sentence uses the first letter of each word to spell out "DIFFIDENT" and highlights the feeling of hesitancy associated with being diffident.
Contextual Example:
* The diffident student was too shy to ask a question in class, even though he had a good one.
Choose the method that works best for you, and practice using the word "diffident" in different contexts to reinforce your memory.