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shy

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verb

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a shy person
a timid person
an introverted person
a quiet person
a bashful person
a nervous person
a shy smile
a sheepish smile
a slight smile
a subtle smile
a nervous smile
a reluctant smile
shy creatures
reclusive creatures
stealthy creatures
solitary creatures
wary creatures
skittish creatures

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective shy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of shy are bashful, coy, diffident, and modest. While all these words mean "not inclined to be forward," shy implies a timid reserve and a shrinking from familiarity or contact with others.

shy with strangers

When can bashful be used instead of shy?

The words bashful and shy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bashful implies a frightened or hesitant shyness characteristic of childhood and adolescence.

a bashful boy out on his first date

When might coy be a better fit than shy?

While the synonyms coy and shy are close in meaning, coy implies a pretended shyness.

put off by her coy manner

In what contexts can diffident take the place of shy?

In some situations, the words diffident and shy are roughly equivalent. However, diffident stresses a distrust of one's own ability or opinion that causes hesitation in acting or speaking.

felt diffident about raising an objection

When could modest be used to replace shy?

The meanings of modest and shy largely overlap; however, modest suggests absence of undue confidence or conceit.

modest about her success

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
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.

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