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
However, Pumpkin sold for $1.8 million, just shy of its $2 million low estimate. George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 28 Sep. 2024 Never too shy to express her opinion, Shields didn't let the omission slide. Brian Mazique, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024
Verb
Light, charming and humorous, this Shakespearean romantic comedy, is uplifting yet doesn’t shy away from capturing the ultimate complexities of relationships, and in the end delivers a healthy mix of joy, frustration and longing that naturally comes with love. Travis Bean, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024 To tell its story, Beijing has not shied away from using fake personas. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shy 

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 7 Oct. 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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