as in shy
easily frightened
a timid rabbit hopped cautiously out of the hedge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hesitation
lack of willingness to assert oneself and take risks
none of the scouts showed the least timidity about rappeling down the cliff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of timid
Aditya Simha, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Kyōsei is not a strategy for the timid.
—Big Think, 7 May 2026
Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
The Bulls took 18 fewer shots than the Celtics as a direct result of their timidity on the glass, grabbing only six offensive rebounds to Boston’s 20.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for timid
Adjective
Who wants to follow a timid leader, right?
—Aditya Simha, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Kyōsei is not a strategy for the timid.
—Big Think, 7 May 2026
Noun
Even in the face of Hollywood’s timidity, some American independent animators have managed to push their offbeat visions through as features made with limited resources.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
The Bulls took 18 fewer shots than the Celtics as a direct result of their timidity on the glass, grabbing only six offensive rebounds to Boston’s 20.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for timid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for timid
Adjective
-
Detmers was still 15 pitches shy of his season-high when Suzuki pulled him.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
-
The Knicks then outscored the Spurs, 58-30, in the second half, leaving them one win shy of their first championship since 1973.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Coming down from the peak of the AIDS crisis, LGBTQ+ community members were fearful of coming out of the closet through the 1990s due to the ongoing stigma facing homosexuality.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2026
-
Pashinyan also repeatedly sought to soothe those fearful of severing ties with Russia, Armenia’s historical protector.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 June 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
-
Dealing with termites can be a scary burden, and a new report reveals some cities are more termite-prone than others.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
8 June 2026
-
Flying on Broadway is often scary.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Is this person happy, sad, scared?—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
8 June 2026
-
The clinic struggled to keep staff during the epidemic and the nurse was too scared to run it by herself, Dunn said.—
Imani Cruzen,
Twin Cities,
7 June 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
-
Ridge Vineyards is rooted in tradition but not afraid to change with the times.—
Laura Ness,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
-
The main character, Holly, belongs to a group of people — or perhaps a generation — afraid that life is always happening somewhere else.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
An Orange County man downed 2 quarts of Jack Daniel’s before firing a gun multiple times inside his Laguna Niguel home, forcing terrified relatives to flee.—
Seamus Bozeman
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
-
Social media video showed dozens of terrified elementary schoolchildren crouching down outdoors as the ground beneath them swayed violently in the province of Davao Occidental.—
Kathleen Magramo,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Timid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/timid. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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