1
as in timid
easily frightened
a shy cat who hid under the bed every time she heard any loud noise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in withdrawn
not comfortable around people
a shy person who finds talking to anyone but a close friend to be an awkward and unpleasant experience
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
the team is shy a couple of players because of illness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in notorious
not respectable
she was nervous about being left alone in a shy bar in a bad section of town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
a shy person
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shy
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
Then allow enough time to complete your work without hurrying, and do not be shy about asking for help with moving heavy items.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2025
Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 12 May 2025
Former prosecutor Kristine Bradley, who was ousted from the case in October, shied away from using the rapper’s lyrics in the first trial.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shy
Adjective
They were eliminated six wins shy of a repeat title.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
Then allow enough time to complete your work without hurrying, and do not be shy about asking for help with moving heavy items.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2025
Verb
Known for his larger-than-life personality and strong Texas roots, That Mexican OT didn’t shy away from participating in the rodeo’s various events.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 12 May 2025
Former prosecutor Kristine Bradley, who was ousted from the case in October, shied away from using the rapper’s lyrics in the first trial.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shy
Adjective
-
Twilight was quite timid initially and hid under the bed for the first few days.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2025
-
The Makos athletes also noticed that their parents were timid around water.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 May 2025
Adjective
-
My main criticism is its withdrawn camera, which is set too far away from the action in most stages.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Parents watch as their once-curious children become withdrawn, dreading school instead of embracing it.—
Claudia Nachtigal,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In July 2022, more than 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed in an explosion at the notorious camp at Olenivka, adding a desperate sense of urgency to the Ukrainian efforts to bring the rest of them home.—
Simon Shuster,
Time,
16 May 2025
-
The Lorraine Motel, before and after The 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made the Lorraine Motel in Memphis globally notorious.—
Christopher Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
Verb
-
When Afrikaner apartheid was instituted in 1948, Washington didn’t flinch.—
Time,
Time,
22 May 2025
-
The game was scoreless until Amarillo scored twice in the top of the seventh, but Aledo didn’t flinch.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Cher was bashful to be busted but then couldn’t help laughing out loud at the audacity.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Or maybe the movie’s stars are just feeling a bit bashful!—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Abarth is low cost, high return and should be encouraged.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
-
In stock markets abroad, indexes were mostly lower across Europe and Asia.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
But aside from obliquely blaming us for perpetuating the couch-jump controversy, The Final Reckoning is also a reminder of what that infamous moment was really all about: love.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
-
From his infamous beef with former New York Jets star Mark Gastineau to his involvement in one of the biggest public fraud cases in history, UNTOLD: The Fall of Favre explores it all.—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
The layoffs of tens of thousands of staff across the federal government are a critical piece of a push by the Republican president and billionaire adviser Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to shrink the federal government and drastically cut spending.—
Daniel Wiessner,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
-
The fish that shrank, the study found, had a much higher chance of surviving.—
Benji Jones,
Vox,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shy. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share