as in shy
easily frightened
a timid rabbit hopped cautiously out of the hedge
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of timid
Kyōsei is not a strategy for the timid.
—
Big Think, 7 May 2026
The road movie, which premiered in Un Certain Regard at CAnnes in 2025, stars Sergio Romano and Pierpaolo Capovilla as two fiftysomething men from Italy’s northern Veneto area who befriend a timid student from Naples, played by Filippo Scotti.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 May 2026
If your little miners are more timid about rides, consider getting a seat near the front of the train.
—Megan Dubois, Southern Living, 4 May 2026
Living in Jack's shadow is timid Simon (Ike Talburt) who is easily bullied, unable to resist Jack's thrall and authority.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for timid
Big Think, 7 May 2026
The road movie, which premiered in Un Certain Regard at CAnnes in 2025, stars Sergio Romano and Pierpaolo Capovilla as two fiftysomething men from Italy’s northern Veneto area who befriend a timid student from Naples, played by Filippo Scotti.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 May 2026
If your little miners are more timid about rides, consider getting a seat near the front of the train.
—Megan Dubois, Southern Living, 4 May 2026
Living in Jack's shadow is timid Simon (Ike Talburt) who is easily bullied, unable to resist Jack's thrall and authority.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for timid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for timid
Adjective
-
That’s just shy of the all-time high set the prior week.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
-
In the show, shy Briar U music major Hannah Wells (Ella Bright) and cocky team captain Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) begin fake-dating to try to catch the attention of Hannah’s crush.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Carpenter says the disturbing encounters left her fearful for her safety and that of relatives living with her, as police label the suspect’s fixation irrational and increasingly dangerous.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
-
At the time, the diagnosis was much more taboo, discussed only with hushed, fearful voices.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
The lesser among them, the timorous, the doubtful, and the wavering, stood back, watching, waiting for some greater sign, savoring their doubts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The great danger of that moment was that a political backlash — abetted by a furious media and timorous politicians — would lead to a restoration of the policy of Roe.—
The Editors,
National Review,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
Anyone who’s witnessed the performing animatronics at a Showbiz Pizza can tell you the scariest pop culture of all is the kind made for children.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
Her scary reputation has become a recurring theme this season, and for good reason.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Essentially, for all of the offense’s success during a surprising 2025 season, defenses still weren’t scared of the Patriots.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
-
The exchanges, which take place at the children’s school in Southern California, leave her scared and depressed for days.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Justine Skye took this mousy brown look to the next level by bleaching her brows to match.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
22 May 2026
-
Think runway blondes—soft, mousey, antique.—
Fiona Embleton,
Glamour,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
Unlike the coolly impassive Pop artists, the Who weren’t afraid to get personal, or to let their art echo the anxious, kinky, maladjusted yammering in their own heads.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Meanwhile, aggressive immigration enforcement has made some people afraid to seek care at all, worsening public health outcomes.—
Daniela Flores,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
In the mid-2000s, people across America watched a man in a trench coat hand a chat-log transcript to a terrified suspect holding a six-pack of Mike’s Hard Lemonade.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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Three men in Hawaii were killed within 48 hours, leaving devastated families in mourning and a terrified community on edge as police hunt for the suspect.—
Amanda Musa,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Timid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/timid. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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