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coy

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of coy

1 affecting shyness or modesty in order to attract masculine interest

  • not wanting him to know that she was interested in him, she acted very coy at the dance
Synonyms of coy

coquettish, demure, kittenish
Words Related to coy

flirtatious, flirty, girlish

goody-goody, governessy, overmodest, priggish, prim, prudish
Antonyms of coy

uncoy

2 not comfortable around people

  • a coy toddler who hides whenever anyone comes to the house
Synonyms of coy

backward, bashful, demure, diffident, introverted, modest, recessive, retiring, self-effacing, sheepish, shy, withdrawn
Words Related to coy

antisocial, lone, lone-wolf, unsociable, unsocial

awkward, embarrassed, self-conscious, unadventurous, unassertive, unenterprising

inhibited, reserved, uneasy, uptight
Near Antonyms of coy

boon, clubbable (also clubable), companionable, convivial, gregarious, sociable, social

bold, dashing, forceful

brash, forward, overbold, uninhibited, unreserved
Antonyms of coy

extroverted (also extraverted), immodest, outgoing

Synonym Discussion of coy

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

Learn More about coy

  1. See words that rhyme with coy Dictionary: Definition of coy Spanish Central: Translation of coy Nglish: Translation of coy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of coy for Arabic speakers

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