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“Diffident” describes a shy, self-effacing manner marked by low confidence or reserve. The cleanest opposite is “self-assured” (A), which conveys confident presence and poise. The distractors are near-synonyms of diffident: “timid” (B) and “hesitant” (D) reflect reluctance or fearfulness, while “wary” (C) denotes cautious distrust, which may manifest as reserve but is not the polarity flip the question seeks. On Nelson–Denny antonym items, place terms on a confidence continuum: diffident/timid/retiring ↔ confident/self-assured/assertive. Then test by substitution: a diffident presentation versus a self-assured presentation reverses audience perception exactly. Distinguish “diffident” from “modest” (which can be positive, balanced humility) and from “demure” (often gendered and decorum-focused). Precision matters because author attitude in profiles or analyses may hinge on whether a speaker is truly lacking confidence or simply measured. Recognizing the antonym quickly helps reserve time for longer reading passages.