What does "shy" mean?
An act of throwing.
Shy
/ʃaɪ/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act of throwing.
- Grammar: shy is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: diffident, timid, abashed, about the bush.
- Useful contrasts: adventurous, audacious, barefaced.
- Usage evidence: She was very shy about her emergency problem, and asked the gynecologist to please examine her.
How to use "shy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "shy" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "shy" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "shy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "shy" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "shy" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "diffident" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "shy", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act of throwing.
"Foker discharged a prodigious bouquet at her, and even Smirke made a feeble shy with a rose, and blushed dreadfully when it fell into the pit"
- 2 a quick throw wordnet
- 3 A place for throwing.
"coconut shy"
- 4 A sudden start aside, as by a horse.
- 5 In the Eton College wall game, a point scored by lifting the ball against the wall in the calx.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A throw-in from the sidelines, using two hands above the head. Scotland
- 7 In shinty, the act of tossing the ball above the head and hitting it with the shaft of the caman to bring it back into play after it has been hit out of the field. Scotland
- 8 A gibe; a sneer. archaic
Verb
- 1 To avoid due to caution, embarrassment or timidness. intransitive
"Courts might tend to shy from limiting Congress under such a vague standard."
- 2 throw quickly wordnet
- 3 To jump back in fear. intransitive
"The horse shied at the unexpected approach of a motor vehicle."
- 4 start suddenly, as from fright wordnet
- 5 To throw sideways with a jerk; to fling. transitive
"to shy a stone"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To throw a ball with two hands above the head, especially when it has crossed the side lines in a football (soccer) match. Scotland, intransitive, transitive
- 7 To hit the ball back into play from the sidelines in a shinty match. Scotland
Adjective
- 1 Easily frightened; timid.
"The horses of the army, and those of the royal stables, having been daily led before me, were no longer shy, but would come up to my very feet without starting."
- 2 Reserved; disinclined to familiar approach.
"He is very shy with strangers."
- 3 Cautious; wary; suspicious.
"We grant, although he had much wit, / H' was very shy of using it; / As being loth to wear it out, / And therefore bore it not about,"
- 4 Short, insufficient or less than. informal
"By our count your shipment came up two shy of the bill of lading amount."
- 5 Embarrassed.
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Less likely to reveal whom they will vote for than average, chiefly in the context of the collective effect this has on polling accuracy. UK, US
"Pollsters need to remember the shy Tory factor."
Adjective
- 1 wary and distrustful; disposed to avoid persons or things wordnet
- 2 lacking self-confidence wordnet
- 3 short wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
"She was very shy about her emergency problem, and asked the gynecologist to please examine her."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "shy"?
Common synonyms include: diffident, timid, abashed, about the bush, afraid, agnostic.
How do you use "shy" in a sentence?
She was very shy about her emergency problem, and asked the gynecologist to please examine her.
How do you pronounce "shy"?
Pronounced /ʃaɪ/.
Etymology
From Middle English shy (“shy”), from Old English sċēoh (“shy”), from Proto-West Germanic *skeuh (“shy, fearful”), from Proto-Germanic *skeuhaz (“shy, fearful”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian skjou (“shy”), Dutch schuw (“shy”), German scheu (“shy”), Danish sky (“shy”). Etymology tree Middle English shy English shy