Shy — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb noun /ˈshī/

Meaning & Definition of Shy

Shy (adjective)

  1. easily frightened, timid
  2. disposed to avoid a person or thing
  3. hesitant in committing oneself, circumspect

Shy (verb)

  1. to develop or show a dislike or distaste —usually used with from or away from
  2. to start suddenly aside through fright or alarm
  3. to make a sudden throw
  4. to throw (an object) with a jerk, fling

Shy (noun)

  1. a sudden start aside (as from fright)
  2. the act of shying, toss, throw
  3. a verbal fling or attack
  4. cockshy

Shy (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. easily frightened

    "a shy cat who hid under the bed every time she heard any loud noise"

    similar: fainthearted, fearful, fearsome, mousy, scary, skittish, timid, timorous, tremulous
    related: chicken, chickenhearted, chicken-livered, cowardly, craven, dastardly, gutless, lily-livered, milk-livered (archaic), poltroon, pusillanimous, spineless, unheroic, yellow, jittery, jumpy, spooky, anxious, apprehensive, nervous, afraid, alarmed, horrified, panicked, panicky, panic-stricken, scared, shocked, spooked, startled, terrified, terrorized, unnerved
    opposite: adventuresome, adventurous, audacious, bold, daring, dashing, gutsy, hardy, venturesome, venturous
    near: brave, courageous, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, greathearted, heroic, intrepid, lionhearted, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, undaunted, valiant, valorous, assured, confident, self-assured, self-confident, determined, firm, game, plucky, resolute, undeterred, unflinching, unswerving, mettlesome, spirited, spunky

  2. not comfortable around people

    "a shy person who finds talking to anyone but a close friend to be an awkward and unpleasant experience"

    similar: backward, bashful, coy, demure, diffident, introverted, modest, recessive, retiring, self-effacing, sheepish, withdrawn
    related: antisocial, lone, lone-wolf, unsociable, unsocial, awkward, embarrassed, self-conscious, unadventurous, unassertive, unenterprising, inhibited, reserved, uneasy, uptight
    opposite: extroverted, immodest, outgoing
    near: boon, clubbable, companionable, convivial, gregarious, sociable, social, bold, dashing, forceful, brash, forward, overbold, uninhibited, unreserved

  3. not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need

    "the team is shy a couple of players because of illness"

    similar: deficient, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, low, scarce, short, wanting
    related: substandard, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, hand-to-mouth, lean, light, meager, poor, scant, scanty, skimp, skimpy, slender, slim, spare, sparse, stingy, bare, mere, minimum, slight, small
    opposite: adequate, enough, sufficient
    near: abundant, ample, bounteous, bountiful, copious, generous, liberal, plenteous, plentiful, plenitudinous, enlarged, expanded, supplemented, abounding, overflowing, teeming, satisfactory, tolerable, lavish, luxuriant, rich, big, considerable, hefty, jumbo, king-size, large, largish, oversize, sizable, substantial, super

  4. not respectable

    "she was nervous about being left alone in a shy bar in a bad section of town"

    similar: discreditable, disgraceful, dishonorable, disreputable, ignominious, infamous, louche, notorious, opprobrious, shady, shameful, shoddy, unrespectable
    related: bad, criminal, immoral, seamy, sordid, unethical, unsavory, wicked, base, contemptible, despicable, detestable, dirty, low, mean, miserable, vile, wretched, evil, iniquitous, nefarious, rotten, sinful, unrighteous, vicious, villainous, wrong, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, inglorious, reprehensible, corrupt, debased, debauched, degenerate, depraved, dissolute, gamy, libertine, loose, perverted, reprobate
    opposite: honorable, reputable, respectable
    near: decent, ethical, good, honest, just, moral, noble, principled, righteous, upright, upstanding, esteemed, prestigious, reputed, respected, authorized, legal, licensed, permissible, permitted, approved, endorsed, sanctioned, clean, correct, decorous, exemplary, proper, seemly, blameless, commendable, creditable, guiltless

Shy (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in start, flinch

    similar: blench, flinch, quail, recoil, shrink, start, wince
    opposite: cuddle, nestle, nuzzle, snoozle (chiefly dialect), snuggle, curl up, crouch, huddle

Related Entry: Shy (from or away from) (verb)

Shy (from or away from) is a different word from Shy. The synonyms below are for shy (from or away from), not for shy.

  1. as in object (to), disapprove (of)

    similar: cringe (at), disapprove (of), frown (on or upon), mind, object (to), condemn, despise, scorn, abhor, abominate, detest, execrate, hate, loathe, resent, disfavor, dislike, disrelish, mislike
    opposite: adore, cotton (to), delight (in), dig, enjoy, fancy, groove (on), like, love, relish, revel (in), admire, appreciate, cherish, esteem, regard, respect, deify, idolize, revere, reverence, venerate, worship, prize, treasure, value, drink (in), savor, dote (on), favor, prefer

Related Entry: Fight shy of (phrase)

Fight shy of is a different word from Shy. The synonyms below are for fight shy of, not for shy.

  1. to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery

    "They'd always managed to fight shy of legal recourse."

    similar: avoid, dodge, duck, elude, escape, eschew, evade, finesse, get around, scape, shake, shirk, shuffle (out of), shun, weasel (out of), keep clear of, stay clear of, steer clear of
    related: miss, avert, deflect, divert, obviate, parry, prevent, ward (off), ban, bar, debar, eliminate, except, exclude, preclude, rule out, bypass, circumvent, skirt, foil, fox, frustrate, outfox, outsmart, outwit, overreach, thwart
    near: accept, court, embrace, pursue, seek, welcome, catch, contract, incur

Related Entry: Gun-shy (adjective)

Gun-shy is a different word from Shy. The synonyms below are for gun-shy, not for shy.

  1. as in wary, cautious

    similar: careful, cautious, guarded, leery, wary, watchful, disbelieving, distrustful, doubting, incredulous, mistrustful, negativistic, questioning, show-me, skeptical, suspecting, suspicious, unbelieving, paranoid, critical, puzzled, quizzical, cynical, experienced, knowing, sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise, curious, inquiring, inquisitive, nosy, snoopy, uncertain, unconvinced, undecided, undetermined, unsettled, unsure, hesitant
    opposite: green, ingenuous, innocent, naive, simple, simpleminded, unknowing, unsophisticated, unworldly, wide-eyed, certain, confident, positive, sure, callow, inexperienced, raw, childlike, idealistic, impractical, beguiled, deceived, duped, gulled, tricked, careless, heedless, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unwary, credulous, gullible, trustful, trusting, uncritical, unquestioning

Related Entry: Fought shy of (phrase)

Fought shy of is a different word from Shy. The synonyms below are for fought shy of, not for shy.

  1. to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery

    "They'd always managed to fight shy of legal recourse."

    similar: avoided, dodged, ducked, eluded, escaped, eschewed, evaded, finessed, got around, scaped, shirked, shook, shuffled (out of), shunned, weaseled (out of), kept clear of, stayed clear of, steered clear of
    related: missed, averted, deflected, diverted, obviated, parried, prevented, warded (off), banned, barred, debarred, eliminated, excepted, excluded, precluded, ruled out, bypassed, circumvented, skirted, foiled, foxed, frustrated, outfoxed, outsmarted, outwitted, overreached, thwarted
    near: accepted, courted, embraced, pursued, sought, welcomed, caught, contracted, incurred

Related Entry: Fights shy of (phrase)

Fights shy of is a different word from Shy. The synonyms below are for fights shy of, not for shy.

  1. to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery

    "They'd always managed to fight shy of legal recourse."

    similar: avoids, dodges, ducks, eludes, escapes, eschews, evades, finesses, gets around, scapes, shakes, shirks, shuffles (out of), shuns, weasels (out of), keeps clear of, stays clear of, steers clear of
    related: misses, averts, deflects, diverts, obviates, parries, prevents, wards (off), bans, bars, debars, eliminates, excepts, excludes, precludes, rules out, bypasses, circumvents, skirts, foils, foxes, frustrates, outfoxes, outsmarts, outwits, overreaches, thwarts
    near: accepts, courts, embraces, pursues, seeks, welcomes, catches, contracts, incurs

Related Entry: Fighting shy of (phrase)

Fighting shy of is a different word from Shy. The synonyms below are for fighting shy of, not for shy.

  1. to get or keep away from (as a responsibility) through cleverness or trickery

    "They'd always managed to fight shy of legal recourse."

    similar: avoiding, dodging, ducking, eluding, escaping, eschewing, evading, finessing, getting around, scaping, shaking, shirking, shuffling (out of), shunning, weaseling (out of), keeping clear of, staying clear of, steering clear of
    related: missing, averting, deflecting, diverting, obviating, parrying, preventing, warding (off), banning, barring, debarring, eliminating, excepting, excluding, precluding, ruling out, bypassing, circumventing, skirting, foiling, foxing, frustrating, outfoxing, outsmarting, outwitting, overreaching, thwarting
    near: accepting, courting, embracing, pursuing, seeking, welcoming, catching, contracting, incurring

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Shy

The most common words with a similar meaning to Shy:

fainthearted, fearful, fearsome, mousy, scary, skittish, timid, timorous, tremulous, backward, bashful, coy, demure, diffident, introverted, modest, recessive, retiring, self-effacing, sheepish, withdrawn, deficient, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, low, scarce, short, wanting, discreditable, disgraceful, dishonorable, disreputable, ignominious, infamous, louche, notorious, opprobrious, shady, shameful

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Shy

Words with the opposite meaning of Shy:

adventuresome, adventurous, audacious, bold, daring, dashing, gutsy, hardy, venturesome, venturous, extroverted, immodest, outgoing, adequate, enough, sufficient, honorable, reputable, respectable, cuddle, nestle, nuzzle, snoozle, snuggle, curl up, crouch, huddle

Related Words for Shy

chicken, chickenhearted, chicken-livered, cowardly, craven, dastardly, gutless, lily-livered, milk-livered, poltroon, pusillanimous, spineless, unheroic, yellow, jittery, jumpy, spooky, anxious, apprehensive, nervous, afraid, alarmed, horrified, panicked, panicky, panic-stricken, scared, shocked, spooked, startled

Near Antonyms of Shy

brave, courageous, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, greathearted, heroic, intrepid, lionhearted, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, undaunted, valiant, valorous, assured, confident, self-assured, self-confident, determined, firm, game, plucky, resolute, undeterred, unflinching, unswerving, mettlesome, spirited

Word Forms of Shy

Inflections: shier, shyer, shiest, shyest, shied, shying, shies

Derived words: shyly (adverb), shyness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Shy

Middle English schey, going back to Old English scēoh, going back to West Germanic *skeuh(w)a- (whence also Middle High German schiehe, schiech "timid, despondent," and, with alteration or variant ablaut, Middle Dutch scu, scouw "timid"), perhaps extended form of Indo-European *(s)keu̯(H)- "perceive, watch" show:1

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Shy

Words & Phrases Containing Shy

shy bladder, shy (away) from, fight shy of

Frequently Asked Questions about Shy

What does "Shy" mean?

"Shy" means easily frightened, timid. As an an adjective, a verb and a noun, it is defined as: easily frightened, timid. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Shy"?

Other words for "Shy" include fainthearted, fearful, fearsome, mousy, scary, skittish, timid and timorous. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Shy" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Shy"?

There are 161 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Shy". Common alternatives include fainthearted, fearful, fearsome, mousy, scary, skittish, timid, timorous, tremulous and backward.

What is the opposite of "Shy"?

Antonyms of "Shy" include adventuresome, adventurous, audacious, bold, daring, dashing, gutsy and hardy. Near antonyms include brave, courageous, dauntless and doughty.

How do you use "Shy" in a sentence?

Examples of "Shy" in a sentence: "a shy cat who hid under the bed every time she heard any loud noise"; "a shy person who finds talking to anyone but a close friend to be an awkward and unpleasant experience"; "the team is shy a couple of players because of illness".

Is "Shy" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Shy" can be used as an adjective, a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Shy" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Shy" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Shy"?

"Shy" is pronounced /ˈshī/.