shy

/ʃaɪ/

/ʃaɪ/

Other forms: shied; shying; shies; shyest; shyer; shier; shiest

Making small talk is not much fun for a shy person. Shy means being nervous or reserved around other people, especially in a social situation.

Someone who's extremely shy might blush or stammer when talking to a group of people. Shy can also mean "tending to avoid," like when someone is "camera shy," or if they "shy away" from being straightforward. The Old English root scēoh, "easily frightened," originally only referred to a horse, and came from a Germanic root meaning "scare."

Definitions of shy

1. adjective

   lacking self-confidence
   synonyms: diffident, timid, unsure
2. adjective

   wary and distrustful; disposed to avoid persons or things
   “shy of strangers”

   synonyms:

   wary

   marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
3. verb

   start suddenly, as from fright
   type of:

   jump, start, startle

   move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm
4. verb

   throw quickly
   type of:

   throw

   propel through the air
5. noun

   a quick throw
   “he gave the ball a shy to the first baseman”

   type of:

   throw

   the act of throwing (propelling something with a rapid movement of the arm and wrist)
6. adjective

   short
   “eleven is one shy of a dozen”

   synonyms:

   deficient, insufficient

   of a quantity not able to fulfill a need or requirement