忸 (niǔ): (in 忸怩) bashful

Meanings

她神情忸怩，低着头没说话。

Tā shénqíng niǔní, dī zhe tóu méi shuōhuà.

She looked bashful and lowered her head, saying nothing.

孩子被老师夸得有些忸怩。

Háizi bèi lǎoshī kuā de yǒuxiē niǔní.

The child looked embarrassed when praised by the teacher.

usage

忸 does not stand alone in modern Chinese. It lives in 忸怩, a two-syllable word meaning bashful or ill at ease.

radical

忄 xīn

heart; feeling

The heart radical, left-side form of 心, marks 忸 as an inner emotional state, here the feeling of shyness.

phonetic

丑 chǒu

ugly; clownish

Provides the sound, an older reading near niǔ. Paired with the heart radical it shades toward awkward, self-conscious feeling.

忸 niǔ