TIMID Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

timid

adjective

ˈti-məd

Definition of timid

as in shy

easily frightened a timid rabbit hopped cautiously out of the hedge

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 timid Don’t be timid; get the crust good and wet before proceeding. — Devra Ferst, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 June 2026 Lucerys was younger than Jacaerys and slightly more timid, but still wanted to help gather alliances for Rhaenyra. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026 The show follows morally sound, somewhat timid Australian wallaby Rocko (Carlos Alazraqui), along with his friends and steadfast dog, Spunky. — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026 That might sound too timid in 2026, too reserved for a time when rights are being rolled back every day, and Gauthier recorded a much more direct version of the song late last year. — Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for timid

Recent Examples of Synonyms for timid

Adjective

Lama, 28 years old, softspoken and shy, walks quietly among them, equal parts desperation and dread.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
The Red Sox enter Wednesday on a 14-game winning streak, one shy of the 1946 team’s franchise record.

— Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 22 July 2026

Definition of shy

Adjective

Team members can feel disconnected and fearful that the new boss will damage their existing culture and maybe even eliminate their roles, as with outsourcing to AI.

— Liz Guthridge, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
The facing page depicts a mother, fearful, sneaking away to protect her new child.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026

Definition of fearful

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

Definition of timorous

Adjective

Penned by Aguirre-Sacasa based on the Archie Comics characters, Afterlife with Archie turns the all-American town of Riverdale into a zombie-overrun apocalypse — where the only thing scarier than the undead is trying to survive your teenage years.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 July 2026
Scary allegations are not the whole story If voters listened to Trump’s speech without the benefits of fact-checkers or even Google, things sound really, really scary.

— Philip Elliott, Time, 17 July 2026

Definition of scary

Adjective

Òdódó’s transformation from a naïve and scared young woman into a powerful and influential queen at the king’s court is both remarkable and realistic, and so is her complex relationship with her husband (and captor).

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
Some nights, when he was stressed or scared, Jean would tell him stories.

— Juliet Linderman, Fortune, 16 July 2026

Definition of scared

Adjective

So that was the music playing in the brain of the mousy defendant.

— William Finnegan, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
They are joined by Milo (Yeukayi Ushe), whose slippery jelly Tama escapes his control; Ameline (Evanna Lynch), Ssyelle’s mousy, enigmatic roommate; and Milo’s too-cool brother Odward (Waylon Jacobs).

— Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 8 June 2026

Definition of mousy

Adjective

Prosecutors said all three women knew Lux by name and appearance, and one reported more than 50 encounters that authorities said escalated over time, eventually leaving employees afraid to work around him.

— Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026
But defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and LBs coach Shaun Dion Hamilton aren’t afraid to play rookies.

— Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Definition of afraid

Adjective

Part of his charm here included playing the stalwart father figure to two terrified kids — someone a child could trust to stick around and keep watch all night when the dinosaurs came chomping.

— Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 14 July 2026
On the 14th floor, three of them broke into Ojeda’s apartment, handcuffed him in front of his terrified wife and son, and dragged him out, according to court documents and security video.

— Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 10 July 2026

Definition of terrified

Browse Nearby Words

timeworn

timid

timidity

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“Timid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/timid. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of timid

adjective

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