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
6
: having less than the full or specified amount or number : short
just shy of six feet tall
7
: disreputable
gambling hells and shy saloons—
Blackwood's
Blackwood's
shyly
adverb
shyness
noun
shied; shying
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
plural shies
Synonyms
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 WebOrianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 5 May 2024
In September 1992, just a month shy of Adrienne and Harry’s 25th wedding anniversary, Adrienne was diagnosed with lymphoma.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2024
Jessie Baskin served just shy of a year in county jail after entering a no-contest plea to manslaughter.
—Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 4 May 2024
The hands of a man who wasn’t loud about his spiritual beliefs, but wasn’t shy about them either are pressed together in the manner of prayer.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
Two days shy of the year anniversary of the shooting, Alkurdi pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder, and three counts of disorderly conduct involving a weapon, amassing a total of 31.75 years to be served consecutively.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 3 May 2024
That puts Democrats only 18 votes shy of retaining majority status and 29 votes short of supermajority status if Pritzker signs the legislation.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2024
This character seems sinister but is equally tantalizing, especially to Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie), a shy, low-level colleague who becomes Rebecca’s… confidant?
—Chris Bellamy and Stephanie Kaloi, EW.com, 2 May 2024
Here, though, Putin is given way more than his due: glamorized as a shy, upstanding mayor corrupted by Berezovsky and his plutocratic ilk.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 4 May 2024
Make tough decisions The Hotline never shies from uncomfortable topics, and eliminating sports is the most uncomfortable topic in college athletics.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024
But alongside his more comedic roles, or his turns as the charming action hero, the 43-year-old hasn't shied away from psychologically darker characters.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 3 May 2024
The four other actors that makeup August Moon primarily have backgrounds in dance, something that Galitzine initially shied away from.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2024
As a cherished landmark of San Francisco, the Palace Hotel doesn't shy away from its historic appearance.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2024
Griffin, who owns an 85% stake in Citadel—a separate entity from Citadel Securities—giving him a net worth of $37 billion, is reportedly in the Republican’s donor class but has shied away from supporting Trump, who owns approximately 57% of TMTG stock per CNN.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
Yet perhaps one of the more interesting phenomena in recent months is that of Jews returning to their synagogues and leaning into their Judaism, rather than shying away from it.
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Fixing this will require tough choices—something Shanghai knows Li won’t shy away from.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
Adjective
According to data from payroll services provider ADP, the median pay for professional services new hires is just shy of the $40,000 mark.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 5 May 2024
In September 1992, just a month shy of Adrienne and Harry’s 25th wedding anniversary, Adrienne was diagnosed with lymphoma.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 4 May 2024
Jessie Baskin served just shy of a year in county jail after entering a no-contest plea to manslaughter.
—Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 4 May 2024
The hands of a man who wasn’t loud about his spiritual beliefs, but wasn’t shy about them either are pressed together in the manner of prayer.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
Two days shy of the year anniversary of the shooting, Alkurdi pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder, and three counts of disorderly conduct involving a weapon, amassing a total of 31.75 years to be served consecutively.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 3 May 2024
That puts Democrats only 18 votes shy of retaining majority status and 29 votes short of supermajority status if Pritzker signs the legislation.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2024
This character seems sinister but is equally tantalizing, especially to Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie), a shy, low-level colleague who becomes Rebecca’s… confidant?
—Chris Bellamy and Stephanie Kaloi, EW.com, 2 May 2024
Here, though, Putin is given way more than his due: glamorized as a shy, upstanding mayor corrupted by Berezovsky and his plutocratic ilk.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Verb
Still, Reed did not shy away from speaking in superlatives on Monday.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 4 May 2024
Make tough decisions The Hotline never shies from uncomfortable topics, and eliminating sports is the most uncomfortable topic in college athletics.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024
But alongside his more comedic roles, or his turns as the charming action hero, the 43-year-old hasn't shied away from psychologically darker characters.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 3 May 2024
The four other actors that makeup August Moon primarily have backgrounds in dance, something that Galitzine initially shied away from.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2024
As a cherished landmark of San Francisco, the Palace Hotel doesn't shy away from its historic appearance.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2024
Griffin, who owns an 85% stake in Citadel—a separate entity from Citadel Securities—giving him a net worth of $37 billion, is reportedly in the Republican’s donor class but has shied away from supporting Trump, who owns approximately 57% of TMTG stock per CNN.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
Yet perhaps one of the more interesting phenomena in recent months is that of Jews returning to their synagogues and leaning into their Judaism, rather than shying away from it.
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Fixing this will require tough choices—something Shanghai knows Li won’t shy away from.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Shy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shy. Accessed 9 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shy
1 of 3 adjective1
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
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