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
This idea of reasonableness is easily caricatured as moral timidity or a bloodless neutrality that drains politics of passion.
—
Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 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
Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 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
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What made the league’s hesitation so baffling is that Clark’s rise lifts everyone around her.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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But when Niesen presented the plans to the abbot of the monastery, he was met with hesitation.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Gábor Polyák, a professor of media law at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, said many in the capital were hearing stories of elderly people in small villages who, since Magyar’s victory, were living in fear.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
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Among the victims were two boys, ages 12 and 14, whose deaths have rattled their community in Northeast Washington and prompted broader fears about an uptick in gun violence that typically unfolds in warmer weather.—
Marissa J. Lang,
Washington Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Those who have adopted its use for shopping are driven primarily by convenience and efficiency, but many are constrained by concerns around trust and authenticity.—
Amy O’Brien,
Vogue,
22 Apr. 2026
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Scott’s fellow Democrats ousted him from his post as ranking minority member on the Agriculture Committee in 2024 amid concerns about his age and health.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Kids today have the same worries about careers and friendships that his generation did.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
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The worry is that the government is throwing taxpayer money at a solution that will not save the airline long-term.—
Donald Judd,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Mergen said recruitment to the DOJ had become harder over his decades there, as government shutdowns created anxiety about working at the department, and as nonprofits became more competitive in their salaries.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
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Where academic pressures run high, so does the money and the parental anxiety.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Timidity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/timidity. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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