Hawaiian Adjective · Emotions
hoʻopioʻopio
Pronunciation: /hoh-oh-pee-oh-PEE-oh/
Meaning
To be shy, hesitant, bashful. A more specific form of shyness.
Example sentences
Ua ʻike au i ke kaikamahine e hoʻopioʻopio ana ma ke kihi o ka hale, ʻaʻole ʻo ia i hele mai e pāʻani.
I saw the girl acting shyly in the corner of the house, she didn't come to play.
Ma mua o ka hōʻike ʻana i mua o ka lehulehu, ua hopohopo ʻo ia a ua hoʻopioʻopio hoʻi.
Before performing in front of the public, he was nervous and also hesitant.
No kona ʻano hoʻopioʻopio ke pili me nā malihini, ua paʻakikī ke kamaʻilio pū ʻana me ia.
Because of her bashful nature when interacting with strangers, it was difficult to converse with her.
About this word
“hoʻopioʻopio” is a Hawaiian adjective meaning To be shy, hesitant, bashful. It is part of the ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) vocabulary in the category of Emotions. Definitions are based on the Pukui-Elbert Hawaiian Dictionary.