shy 1 of 2

adjective

ˈshī How to pronounce shy (audio)
Definition of shynext
1
as in timid
easily frightened a shy cat who hid under the bed every time she heard any loud noise

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2
as in withdrawn
not comfortable around people a shy person who finds talking to anyone but a close friend to be an awkward and unpleasant experience

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need the team is shy a couple of players because of illness

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4
as in notorious
not respectable she was nervous about being left alone in a shy bar in a bad section of town

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shy

2 of 2

verb

as in to flinch

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective shy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of shy are bashful, coy, diffident, and modest. While all these words mean "not inclined to be forward," shy implies a timid reserve and a shrinking from familiarity or contact with others.

shy with strangers

When can bashful be used instead of shy?

The words bashful and shy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bashful implies a frightened or hesitant shyness characteristic of childhood and adolescence.

a bashful boy out on his first date

When might coy be a better fit than shy?

While the synonyms coy and shy are close in meaning, coy implies a pretended shyness.

put off by her coy manner

In what contexts can diffident take the place of shy?

In some situations, the words diffident and shy are roughly equivalent. However, diffident stresses a distrust of one's own ability or opinion that causes hesitation in acting or speaking.

felt diffident about raising an objection

When could modest be used to replace shy?

The meanings of modest and shy largely overlap; however, modest suggests absence of undue confidence or conceit.

modest about her success

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shy
Adjective
All of that is a tremendous shy-away from modern-day data taking over. — Ryan Morik Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 Kandinsky died in France in December 1944, three days short of his 78th birthday and six months shy of Germany’s surrender to Allied forces. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
The famed stage actor, who performed late into his life, didn’t shy away from challenging roles. — Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Gibney has never been one to shy away from controversy, but even before Musk’s release, the film drew the ire of its subject and threats of a defamation lawsuit. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shy
  1. timid
  2. withdrawn
  3. lacking
  4. notorious
  5. flinch
  6. bashful
  7. low
  8. infamous
Adjective
  • Because, at this point, helping the Ukrainians achieve victory would cost relatively little, yet the West remains timid.
    — Dan Crenshaw, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Defense can’t be too timid, but there needs to be rational response to an asymmetric downside.
    — Bob Ackerman, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of timid
Adjective
  • In an era of ball-to-feet No 10s and withdrawn strikers, Welbeck stays high up the pitch, runs the channels and occupies defenders.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • The withdrawn earnings are taxed as ordinary income, the Treasury said.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 11 July 2026
Definition of withdrawn
Adjective
  • Illinois already ranks among the states with the highest property taxes in the nation, yet substantive efforts to relieve this burden remain entirely lacking.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The Detroit Free Press and other Michigan- and national-based media organizations have said the claims are misleading or lacking context.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of lacking
Adjective
  • Chicago has Back of the Yards, once adjacent to its notorious stockyards and not that far from Bubbly Creek, where methane and hydrogen sulfide gas once caused the South Fork of the Chicago River to make like a hot tub.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Disqualified is being presented at the MIA Market in Rome today as a TV drama inspired by one of real-life events surrounding Finland’s most notorious sporting scandals.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of notorious
Verb
  • During the Wildcats' first attempt on the two-point conversion, a Kentucky player appeared to flinch, and while a flag was thrown, it was negated by a timeout called by the Wildcats.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • While Levi’s had been making a lot of noise about being a DTC-first retailer, in an interview with WWD, Gass emphasized the importance of a broad base and didn’t flinch away from what went wrong in DTC.
    — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of flinch
Adjective
  • The dominant movie genres of the past decade, superhero films and horror, have usually stayed, like bashful teenagers on the dance floor, on separate sides of the multiplex.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Each loving gesture and bashful smile from his aspiring girlfriend Nikki is punctuated by dread, every minute tense and unnerving as her fixation slowly takes a dark turn.
    — Mariam Bagdady, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of bashful
Adjective
  • Landrew came off the bench for the first time this preseason and used his physicality to get to the basket for a pair of layups in the first half while Oskar Giltay battled with 7-foot-4 Daniel Jacobsen down low.
    — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The distance is worth it for travelers who want a budget-friendly hotel that still has loads of style, as prices tend to be significantly lower than downtown hotels.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of low
Adjective
  • His pathetic, dangerous charade reminds me of an infamous voter fraud case from 30 years ago.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Disney+ and Hulu have greenlit a reboot of Ryan Murphy‘s famous (and infamous) musical dramedy series.
    — Selome Hailu, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of infamous

Phrases Containing shy

Browse Nearby Words

shut up
shy
shy (from or away from)
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Cite this Entry

“Shy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shy. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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