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
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Recent Examples of timid
Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
The REITs are timid in other ways.
—Phoebe Liu, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
Reverence for the past, and reluctance to destroy until the risks of destruction are fully known, is not timidity but wisdom, in architecture as in life.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for timid
Adjective
Lucerys was younger than Jacaerys and slightly more timid, but still wanted to help gather alliances for Rhaenyra.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
The REITs are timid in other ways.
—Phoebe Liu, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Noun
Enmired in the self-satisfactions and unnamed timidities of childhood, Galinda finds in herself neither canniness nor the need to cultivate it.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 2025
Reverence for the past, and reluctance to destroy until the risks of destruction are fully known, is not timidity but wisdom, in architecture as in life.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for timid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for timid
Adjective
-
Kristian Houston was a shy, nervous child who was afraid to speak in front of a crowd.—
Kamal Morgan
February 5,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Continue in the southerly direction, appreciating the gnarled coast live oaks and sound of shy red-eared sliders plopping off their logs into the water.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
One mistake or moment of hesitation could mean death.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
-
This feature helps eliminate jerky movements and hesitation.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Berlin has fewer wealthy residents than Munich or Düsseldorf, and many of its homegrown brands remain small, leaving founders fearful of the rising costs of operating a store.—
Maliha Shoaib,
Vogue,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Decades ago, Shorthouse made the fearful walk along the catwalk with former broadcast partner Tom Larscheid and would not let go of him.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
His greatest fear is summer — when warm weather could bring even larger crowds if enforcement is still ongoing.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Students without legal status couldn’t speak out without fear of deportation, and universities were rushing to determine how to implement the ruling.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
1 Feb. 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
Noun
-
In the wake of Bad Bunny's halftime show selection in September, many critics raised concerns about a potential language barrier for English-language viewers.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Citi noted that market positioning continues to reflect supply concerns, with oil for near-term delivery trading at a premium to later months, and skewed call option pricing showing that traders are still paying up for protection against higher prices.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Director Marianna Bassham loves working on pieces that are a bit scary.—
Courtney Cole,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
George Price wasn’t some scary underworld figure.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The social media giant's guidance offset worries about its sky-high spending on artificial intelligence.—
,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Keogh said that access is a security worry because people in the indictment include citizens of communist China, an American rival.—
Steve Patterson,
Florida Times-Union,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Timid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/timid. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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