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
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Recent Examples of timidity
But what is different about the downfall of Starmer, which is now under way, has been the timidity of his premiership, its chronic self-doubt, as if its voice were permanently stuck in its throat.
—
Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
But our delay and our timidity continue to cause unimaginable human suffering.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
But German timidity before Israel’s moral blackmail only partly explains Habermas’s callous attitude toward the country’s Palestinian victims.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
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
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
The timidity of the tactics was utterly shameful.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
Indulgence can tip over into self-indulgence all too easily; holding back can result in a timidity that makes a song sound at odds with its subject.
—Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025
Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
But our delay and our timidity continue to cause unimaginable human suffering.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
But German timidity before Israel’s moral blackmail only partly explains Habermas’s callous attitude toward the country’s Palestinian victims.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
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
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
The timidity of the tactics was utterly shameful.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
Indulgence can tip over into self-indulgence all too easily; holding back can result in a timidity that makes a song sound at odds with its subject.
—Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for timidity
Noun
-
Jake became Sai without hesitation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
-
Nerves, doubt, and hesitation are normal and expected at this point in the process.—
Jonathan Carone,
Parents,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Carbajal isn’t the only business owner who says fear of immigration agents kept customers home.—
Jack O'Connor,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
The dramatic raid deepens fears over Turkey’s eroding democracy, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government faces accusations of weaponizing courts against the CHP ahead of future elections.—
Cinar Kiper,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Officials have described the overhaul as a long-overdue restoration effort aimed at addressing decades of deferred maintenance, including deteriorating infrastructure, water damage, failing HVAC systems and structural concerns throughout the building.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
28 May 2026
-
Earlier polls had raised Democratic concerns that a crowded field could split the party’s vote and allow Hilton and Bianco, the two leading Republicans, to advance.—
John Woolfolk,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
While there were some concerns about Clark’s availability leading into last week’s Fever-Valkyries game, those worries proved short-lived.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
28 May 2026
-
There was a worry that Anunoby would once again miss a significant amount of time in the playoffs due to injury.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Already millions of school-age kids take in-person piano lessons, not to become the next Carnegie Hall virtuoso but for the lifelong benefits of playing music, from boosting creativity to soothing anxiety and depression.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
24 May 2026
-
Polling has shown that Russians find internet regulation to be the leading cause of anxiety—even more so than Ukrainian drone attacks.—
Natasha Lindstaedt,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
The Denver Post editorial is a master class in timidness and in saying nothing of import.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
-
Wilder was not stuck in the state of inertia that plagued him against Parker or the timidness against Zhang.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Timidity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/timidity. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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