Synonyms for shy
- adjective
- verb
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Timid — cautious; wary; suspicious
timid, bashful, sheepish, diffident, cautious, wary, skittish, hesitant, demure, retiring, cagey, mousy, modest, backward, unsure, reserved, deliberate, shrinking, chary, shamefaced, unassertive, overmodest
2. Lacking — short, insufficient or less than
Other
Verb
1. Jerk — to throw sideways with a jerk; to fling
throw, cast, fling, toss, chuck, pitch, dash, hurl, sling, bowl, project, lob, launch, heave, jerk dated, peg slang, hurtle formal dated, chunk slang US
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Cautious; wary; suspicious.
- adj. 2
Short, insufficient or less than.
It is just shy of a mile from here to their house.
- v. 1
To jump back in fear.
The horse shied at the unexpected approach of a motor vehicle.
- v. 2
To throw sideways with a jerk; to fling.
Related words
- Word family
- shyly shyness shyster
- Phrases
- shy away shy bladder fight shy pee shy piss shy shy person
Example sentences
- timid She seems oddly shy and timid for a press officer.
- bashful The boy is bashful and doesn't talk much.
- sheepish Ziri was talking with a sheepish air of apology.
- diffident Tom is such a diffident man. He seems to have quite low self-esteem.
By length
- 3 letters
- peg1, lob1
- 4 letters
- cast1, bowl1, dash1, jerk1, toss1, wary2, hurl1
- 5 letters
- start1, short1, throw1, pitch1, chuck1, chunk1, fling1, sling1, timid2, heave1, cagey2, mousy2, chary2
- 6 letters
- launch1, modest2, unsure2, demure2, hurtle2, blench
- 7 letters
- project2, distant2, lacking2, startle2, bashful2
- 8 letters
- reserved2, cautious2, retiring3, backward2, hesitant3, skittish2, sheepish2
- 9 letters
- shrinking2, deficient3, diffident
- 10 letters
- deliberate4, shamefaced, overmodest
- 11 letters
- unassertive
- 12 letters
- insufficient4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (wary2 = 2 syllables).