Shy

/ʃaɪ/

Synonyms for "shy" (430 found)

Ranked by relevance and common usage.

Closest matches (86)

Adjective(7 words)

diffident timid bashfulbashful personblushful cautious coyest

Adjective(5 words)

about the bushafraid agnostic apprehensivearound the busharrested attempt averse avert avoid avoidanceback downbackhanded backward balance balk bankruptbankrupt inbare ofbashful

Show 52 more words

be startledbear offbeat aboutbeat aroundbeat around the bushbeg the questionbereftbereft ofbicker bilk blench blinkblow hot and coldboggle boggling bowl cagey callow castcast atcatapult cautious cavil charychop logicchoplogic chuckchuck atchunk circumspect circumvention confused conscious cowardly coy cringe curve dart dash debate decline defectivedefense mechanismdeficient deflect deliberate demur demure demurringdenuded ofdeprived ofdestitute of

Noun(2 words)

be tongue-tieddemurer

Strong matches (129)

devoiddevoid ofdiffident disinclined dissent distrustful dodge double doubtful doubtingdraw asidedraw backdraw indubious duckease offedge offelude elusion embryonic

Show 101 more words

empty ofequivocate equivocation escape eschew evadeevade the issueevasion fade failing faint-heartedfall backfallback falter faltering fastball fear fearful fearing fearsome fencefight shyfight shy offirefire atflinch flingfling atflipfly offfor want offorbearance forestalling forkforlorn offorward passfrom missourigag gee gingerly glanceglance offgo offgoosyhang backhang offhave qualmshawhead offheaveheave athedgehem and hawhesitant hesitate hesitatinghold offhoverhum and hawhurlhurl againsthurl athurtle hypoplastic immaturein arrearin arrearsin defaultin default ofin doubtin fearin short supplyin want ofinadequate inarticulate incomplete incurve indisposed infant inhibited insufficient introversive introvert introverted jerk jib jumpjump a milejumpy lacking lance lateral launch leerylet flylet fly atloath lobmake bones aboutmake way formeek

Adjective(3 words)

distant embarrassed hesitant

Adjective(3 words)

guarded introvertless than

Noun(2 words)

less sociableless social

Related words (215)

missing mistrustful mistrusting modest mousymove asidemystify needing nervous neutrality nitpick nonintervention noninvolvement obscureout ofout of pocketpalter panic parry part

Show 168 more words

partial pass patchy pause peg peltpick nitspitch pitchfork ponder pot potshot prevaricate prevention pullpull awaypull backpull inpull outpullback pullout pussyfoot putput offput the shotpyrrhonic quail qualmish questioning quibble rabbity recoil reelreel backrefraining reluctant reserved retiring retract retreat runaround scantscant ofscanty scarce scary scrappy screwball scrimpy scruple scrupulous secluded self-conscious self-distrustful self-effacing serve service shaky shamefaced shamefast sheepishsheer offshiftshift offshilly shallyshilly-shally shivery shortshort ofshot putshove asideshrinkshrink backshrinking shuffle shun shunning shuntshy atshy awayshy ofshy offside sidestep sideswipe sidetrack sidle sinker skedaddle skeptical sketchy skimpy skittery skittish slender slingsling atslip snap spitballsplit hairssqueamish stammering stampede startstart asidestart backstartle startlishsteer clear ofstep asidestickstick atstickle sticklingstop to considerstraddle the fencestrainstrain atstumble suspecting suspicious swerve switch tentative tergiversatethink twicethink twice aboutthrowthrow attilt timid timorous tosstoss attrembling tremulous trepidanttrigger happytrigger-happyturn asideturn awayturn backunassertive unassuredunblessed withuncertain underdeveloped undeveloped uneagerunpossessed ofuntrusting unwilling veerveer offvoiceless voidvoid ofwantingward offwary waver weaselweasel outwince withdraw yield zigzag

Adjective(15 words)

mousey mousiest pitch reluctant reserved reticentshort ofthrow timider timidest toss under unsure wallflower withdrawn

Adjective(11 words)

mousy passive quiet reclusive retiring shamefast sheep-faced sheepish submissive timid uncommunicative

Noun(1 words)

social withdrawal

Related word relations

OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.

6 relation types

More general

13 entries

actionbehavior patternbeing jump loft personpersonality traitquantity relationsporting termstart startle throw

More specific

14 entries

aimed throwbashfulness deficit guardednessinformation withholdinglong throwprivacy guardingrecluse reservedness reticenceshort throwshortfall timidity wallflower

Collocations

11 entries

shy at goalshy at the stumpsshy attemptshy lookshy of the markshy personshy smileshy studentshy temperamentshy throwshy with the ball

Inflections

4 entries

shier shies shyer shyest

Derivations

5 entries

shied shies shying shyly shyness

similar

3 entries

deficient insufficient wary

Sample sentences

32 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

She was very shy about her emergency problem, and asked the gynecologist to please examine her.

Source: tatoeba (20138)

Don't be shy about talking to the teacher; if you don't understand, use some initiative!

Source: tatoeba (25789)

Generally, Japanese people are shy.

Source: tatoeba (27316)

Bob was shy when he was a high school student.

Source: tatoeba (33192)

Showing 4 of 32 available sentences.

More for "shy"

Meaning

Keep exploring

Read the definition Browse writing guides Read the blog