Synonyms for shy
ʃaɪshy

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. shynoun

   Antonyms:
   brazen, bold, audacious

2. shynoun

   Easily frightened; timid.

   a shy bird.

   Antonyms:
   bold, audacious, brazen

3. shyverb

   Reserved; disinclined to familiar approach.

   coconut shy

   Antonyms:
   brazen, bold, audacious

4. shyadjective

   Cautious; wary; suspicious.

   Antonyms:
   brazen, audacious, bold

5. shyadjective

   Antonyms:
   audacious, bold, brazen

6. shyadjective

   Antonyms:
   brazen, bold, audacious

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 3 votes

1. shy

   Synonyms:
   modest, reserved, retiring, unassuming, unobtrusive

   Antonyms:
   impertinent, intrusive, meddlesome, meddling, obtrusive, officious

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.8 / 4 votes

1. shy

   Synonyms:
   timid, reserved, modest, bashful, suspicion, shrinking, chary

   Antonyms:
   bold, brazen-faced, impudent, audacious, reckless

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. shyadjective

   a quick throw

   "he gave the ball a shy to the first baseman"

   Antonyms:
   sufficient, unwary

2. diffident, shy, timid, unsureadjective

   lacking self-confidence

   "stood in the doorway diffident and abashed"; "problems that call for bold not timid responses"; "a very unsure young man"

   Synonyms:
   diffident, faint, shy(p), fainthearted, faint-hearted, timid, uncertain, unsure, incertain

   Antonyms:
   sufficient, unwary

3. shy(p)adjective

   short

   "eleven is one shy of a dozen"

   Antonyms:
   sufficient, unwary

4. shyverb

   wary and distrustful; disposed to avoid persons or things

   "shy of strangers"

   Synonyms:
   shy(p), timid, diffident, unsure

   Antonyms:
   unwary, sufficient

5. shyverb

   start suddenly, as from fright

   Antonyms:
   unwary, sufficient

6. shyverb

   throw quickly

   Antonyms:
   unwary, sufficient

Matched Categories

1. • Start
   • Throw

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. quietadjective

   shy people are quiet and timid

   that girl is quiet and timid

   Submitted by gilliancreedon on December 20, 2022  

2. reticent

   Submitted by anonymous on September 6, 2020  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. shyadjective

   Synonyms:
   coy, reserved, bashful, diffident, timid, sheepish, shame-faced, over-modest

2. shyadjective

   Synonyms:
   cautious, wary, heedful, chary

3. shynoun

   Synonyms:
   sudden start (as of a horse)

4. shynoun

   Synonyms:
   [Colloquial.] fling, throw

5. shyverb

   Synonyms:
   fling, throw, jerk, cast, toss, hurl, FLIRT, chuck, pitch, sling

6. shyverb

   Synonyms:
   sheer, start aside

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. shyadjective

   Synonyms:
   timid, coy, backward, retiring, diffident, wary, cautious, (Slang) short, lacking

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "shy":

   timid, bashful, self-conscious, coy, embarrassed, half-hearted, tentative

Suggested Resources

1. shy

   Song lyrics by shy -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by shy on the Lyrics.com website.

2. SHY

   What does SHY stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the SHY acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

How to pronounce shy?

How to say shy in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use shy in a sentence?

1. Michael Levine:

   They( Hotel Pourtales) may claim Hotel Pourtales is because high profile stars are camera shy, but let them tell you this, and point out to them that the lack of camera surveillance may also be grounds for a lawsuit blaming the whole incident on lax security.

2. Richard Lowenstein:

   I met a person who was completely humble and shy and just quite normal in real life but on stage would put on this rock star cloak and become this ... long-haired sex god.

3. Avril Haines:

   To be effective, Bidens DNI must never shy away from speaking truth to power — even, especially, when doing so may be inconvenient or difficult, to safeguard the integrity of our intelligence community, Bidens DNI must insist that, when it comes to intelligence, there is simply no place for politics ever.

4. Kristi Watterberg:

   What we have seen with kids is that babies who are born preterm tend to be more risk averse and shy and more fearful, but on the other hand, we have seen that these kids tend to grow up and develop a good life, a life the kids and their parents are happy with.

5. Tim McGraw:

   It was exactly my process, basically, I am an unsure, self-conscious, shy person. That is how I started — even when I was in college —before I would get on stage, I would start drinking. I would start drinking to stop shaking.