timid

1 of 2

adjective

tim·​id ˈti-məd How to pronounce timid (audio)
Synonyms of timid
1
: lacking in courage or self-confidence
a timid person
2
: lacking in boldness or determination
a timid policy
timidity noun
timidly adverb
timidness noun

timidness

2 of 2

noun

tim·​id·​ness
plural -es

Examples of timid in a Sentence

Adjective She's very timid and shy when meeting strangers. He gave her a timid smile.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
David Fine as Scorpius does an enormous amount of heavy lifting by injecting urgency and pathos, despite his character’s timid personality. John Wenzel, Denver Post, 4 June 2026 Chances of Musk becoming the world’s first trillionaire were timid when the markets first opened on Kalshi. Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 29 May 2026 Your favorite team probably doesn’t use them much, if at all, because they’re considered extremely difficult and most GMs are timid babies who are afraid of getting yelled at. Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 11 May 2026 That bill is a direct response to a Supreme Court that handed the executive branch a dangerous blank check and a Congress too timid to push back. Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for timid

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin timidus, from timēre to fear

Noun

timid + -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of timid was circa 1550

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Cite this Entry

“Timid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/timid. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

timid

adjective
tim·​id ˈtim-əd How to pronounce timid (audio)
: feeling or showing a lack of courage or self-confidence : shy
timidity noun
timidly adverb
timidness noun

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