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timid

adjective

ˈti-məd How to pronounce timid (audio)
Definition of timidnext
as in shy
easily frightened a timid rabbit hopped cautiously out of the hedge

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Unapologetically himself yet timid all at once, Ali vehemently opposed the Vietnam War and sought justice for all. — Ruby Grisin, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Sep. 2026 Conversely, timid or softened feedback delivered to struggling employees creates a false sense of security, signaling that there is no urgency to adjust course. — Luciana Paulise, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Knight was timid, and his interview was practiced, Becker said. — CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026 An eastern gray variety, the forester, lives on Tasmania but is vastly outnumbered by its smaller cousins, the Bennetts wallaby and the timid pademelon. — Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for timid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for timid
  1. shy
  2. fearful
  3. timorous
  4. scary
  5. scared
  6. mousy
  7. afraid
  8. terrified
Adjective
  • The Bears beat Carolina 59-37, falling three points shy of tying Atlanta’s 53-year-old record for the most in Week 1.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The smart kids, the shy ones, the jokers and the loners — every one of them is caught in the pyroclastic flow of adolescence, every minute a negotiation between fitting in and standing out.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of shy
Adjective
  • This lack of awareness was on show in 2025, when, fearful of a trade war, Brussels squandered its own leverage and signed off on a lopsided framework with Washington.
    — JONAS NAHM, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The production’s creative team, led by the inexhaustibly inventive director José Luis Valenzuela, returns us to a world where the dead are owed sacred duties and the living are fearful to renege on this basic human responsibility.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 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
  • The pass-rush group isn’t nearly as scary without Garrett, and that could affect every level of the defense.
    — Zac Jackson, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Almost twenty years ago, a doctor told Pamela Anderson the scariest news.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of scary
Adjective
  • Smelling human hormones of fear, Whistler would have known that Mary was scared.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Across the playground, Star climbed to the top of a slide, then got too scared to come down.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • After years without contact, Sandra mysteriously invites her outspoken, alcoholic mother, Diane (Dianne Weist), and her mousy sister, April (Naomi Watts), to the premiere of her upcoming Broadway show.
    — Matthew Huff, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
  • So that was the music playing in the brain of the mousy defendant.
    — William Finnegan, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of mousy
Adjective
  • David, not unlike Jerry, was afraid of falling and white-knuckled his way through.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Since the incident nearly a year ago, the victim has been afraid to go outside, according to Clifton.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of afraid
Adjective
  • Instead, coaches have become more and more terrified through the years of seeing their players getting hurt during largely meaningless games in August.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Tempe police ultimately convinced the couple, who were initially too terrified to report the incident, to share what had happened to them, documents said.
    — Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrified

Browse Nearby Words

timeworn
timid
timidity
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Timid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/timid. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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