shy

1 of 5

adjective

shier or shyer ˈshī(-ə)r How to pronounce shy (audio) ; shiest or shyest ˈshī-əst How to pronounce shy (audio)
1
: easily frightened : timid
2
: disposed to avoid a person or thing
publicity shy
3
: hesitant in committing oneself : circumspect
4
: sensitively diffident or retiring : reserved
also : expressive of such a state or nature
a shy smile
5
6
: having less than the full or specified amount or number : short
just shy of six feet tall
7
: disreputable
gambling hells and shy saloonsBlackwood's
shyly adverb
shyness noun

shy

2 of 5

verb (1)

shied; shying

intransitive verb

1
: to develop or show a dislike or distaste
usually used with from or away from
an author who shies away from publicity
2
: to start suddenly aside through fright or alarm

shy

3 of 5

noun (1)

plural shies
: a sudden start aside (as from fright)

shy

4 of 5

verb (2)

shied; shying

intransitive verb

: to make a sudden throw

transitive verb

: to throw (an object) with a jerk : fling

shy

5 of 5

noun (2)

plural shies
1
: the act of shying : toss, throw
2
: a verbal fling or attack
3
Choose the Right Synonym for shy

shy, bashful, diffident, modest, coy mean not inclined to be forward.

shy implies a timid reserve and a shrinking from familiarity or contact with others.

shy with strangers

bashful implies a frightened or hesitant shyness characteristic of childhood and adolescence.

a bashful boy out on his first date

diffident stresses a distrust of one's own ability or opinion that causes hesitation in acting or speaking.

felt diffident about raising an objection

modest suggests absence of undue confidence or conceit.

modest about her success

coy implies a pretended shyness.

put off by her coy manner

Examples of shy in a Sentence

Adjective I was painfully shy as a teenager. She was too shy to ask for help. He gave her a shy smile. Help yourself if you want more. Don't be shy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Love thy neighbor The countries snubbed by the tour haven’t been shy about making their displeasure with the agreement known. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 The late Grammy winner — who died of natural causes at age 56 in July 2023 — was not shy about sharing her stances about Trump. Anna Chan, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2024 But others were not shy about predicting that the Cardenases would remain key players in local elections. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 But the minimalist script allows both actors to act primarily through body language and facial expressions, building a believable chemistry through soft smiles and shy silences. Janey Tracey, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024 Studies have shown that individuals giving small-dollar donations collectively make the most contributions, making up over $100B in donations annually, or just shy of two-thirds of all charitable giving in the US. Morgan Simon, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 The team from Provo, Utah isn’t shy about launching it from deep, firing away at the fourth-highest rate in the country. Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2024 LeBron James is not shy about sharing his thoughts on social media. Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 By late last year, Stephen had paid Mexican telemarketing scammers just shy of $1.8 million, according to the records. Steve Fisher, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
Google Nest founder Matt Rogers didn’t shy away from the commitment, venturing fully and completely into a realm many gearheads consider sacrilegious, all with the goal of producing zero tailpipe emissions. Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024 Americana Pipedream also doesn’t shy away from firearms. Charles W. McFarlane, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 For now, at least, people clearly aren’t shying away from splurging a little on their favorite beauty products. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 5 Mar. 2024 Along with selling millions of records and releasing one of the most famous music videos of all time, O’Connor never shied away from controversy and frequently voiced her political beliefs. Shania Russell, EW.com, 4 Mar. 2024 Imran Khan didn't shy away from addressing his disappointment with the state of the rule of law in Pakistan. Zenger News, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Matta, who is 27 and Lebanese American, shies away from calls for Democrats to unite around Biden ahead of the primary. Elena Moore, NPR, 27 Feb. 2024 Gabriel says the proliferation of streamers — with development budgets for their own original content — now allows for more varied stories to be brought to screen that traditional South African broadcasters might shy away from. Thinus Ferreira, Variety, 26 Feb. 2024 Where level, sunny locations with easy access to electricity and water are best for pure practicality, don’t shy away from placing a greenhouse elsewhere as a standout focal feature to design plantings around. Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024
Noun
That’s a reflection of both Trump’s repetition of his election lies and the way a conservative media world parrots those lies, or at least shies away from contradicting them. Steve Peoples and Nicholas Riccardi, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2023 A lot of that had to do with Duvall, who fell a single shy of the cycle. Julian McWilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Apr. 2023 The olfactory haven is home to bestsellers like Love, Don’t Be Shy and Princess, but its newest chapter shies away from perfume (for a moment) to bring scent to life through makeup exploration with Sir John at the helm as the house’s first-ever creative director. Nerisha Penrose, ELLE, 21 Apr. 2023 Tuesday’s losses ate into each major index’s year-to-date gains as the market increasingly bakes in slumping corporate earnings and shies away from optimism that the Federal Reserve will stop raising interest rates sooner than expected. Derek Saul, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023 Kevin Smith came up in the ninth inning for Triple-A Las Vegas on Sept. 17 a single shy of the cycle, with one thought in mind. Matt Kawahara, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Sep. 2022 But Jefferson, on an instant replay review, was ruled down by contact about a half-yard shy of the goal line. Mark Maske, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Nov. 2022 Jones had a career-high four RBIs and finished a single shy of the cycle, and Yordan Alvarez hit a three-run homer as the Astros beat Seattle 15-1 on Saturday. Kristie Rieken, Chron, 21 Aug. 2021 At the Coliseum, Paul Blackburn held Baltimore to four hits in eight innings and Matt Chapman (3-for-3, two walks) fell a single shy of the cycle. Sporting Green Staff, SFChronicle.com, 2 July 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English schey, going back to Old English scēoh, going back to West Germanic *skeuh(w)a- (whence also Middle High German schiehe, schiech "timid, despondent," and, with alteration or variant ablaut, Middle Dutch scu, scouw "timid"), perhaps extended form of Indo-European *(s)keu̯(H)- "perceive, watch" — more at show entry 1

Verb (1)

derivative of shy entry 1

Noun (1)

derivative of shy entry 2

Verb (2)

of obscure origin

Noun (2)

derivative of shy entry 4

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1649, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

1791, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1787, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (2)

1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shy was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near shy

Cite this Entry

“Shy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shy

1 of 3 adjective
shier or shyer ˈshī(-ə)r How to pronounce shy (audio) ; shiest or shyest ˈshī-əst How to pronounce shy (audio)
1
a
: easily frightened : timid
b
: not feeling comfortable around people : not wanting or able to call attention to oneself
2
: having less than a full or an expected amount or number
we were about ten dollars shy of our goal
shyly adverb
shyness noun

shy

2 of 3 verb
shied; shying
1
: to draw back in sudden dislike or distaste
shied from publicity
2
: to move quickly to one side in fright
the horse shied

shy

3 of 3 noun
plural shies
: a sudden move to one side

More from Merriam-Webster on shy

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