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?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use shy in a sentence?

1. Ezra Levant:

   He was just a few weeks shy of his 16th birthday. We prosecute murderers at that age all the time. He was no child, there were real children involved here — the fatherless kids of Christopher Speer, Christopher Speer.

2. Greg Valliere:

   The markets can live happily with Pence, on trade in particular, pence would get along far better with the Chamber of Commerce and the free trade advocates. He'd shy away from tariffs.

3. Lucas Lambert:

   She wasn’t shy at all. She introduced both her little brother and babysitter to us and had no problems asking questions. And then she went on to tell us her story and started showing off her scars and telling us what she had been through the past month or so.

4. Mickey Mehta:

   Deal with the demons of your past when they haunt you, don't shy away, instead show them the way. Once and for all look straight in their faces right into their eyes with a will and determination to resolve, breathe them out, and before you, let them dissolve. Don't let your past get you traumatized, deal it with self conviction, liberate yourself and get MickeyMized.

5. Grace Gunlogson:

   You're putting yourself out there, and you can't be shy, and you're not just advertising or promoting cookies but the whole Girl Scouts. Another fun part of it is that people are not just interested in cookies, but in you and the whole Girl Scouts.