COY Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'coy' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of coy are bashful , diffident , modest , and shy . While all these words mean "not inclined to be forward," coy implies a pretended shyness. // put off by her coy manner

Q: Where would 'bashful' be a reasonable alternative to 'coy'?

While in some cases nearly identical to coy , bashful implies a frightened or hesitant shyness characteristic of childhood and adolescence. // a bashful boy out on his first date

Q: When would 'diffident' be a good substitute for 'coy'?

While the synonyms diffident and coy are close in meaning, diffident stresses a distrust of one's own ability or opinion that causes hesitation in acting or speaking. // felt diffident about raising an objection

Q: When is it sensible to use 'modest' instead of 'coy'?

The meanings of modest and coy largely overlap; however, modest suggests absence of undue confidence or conceit. // modest about her success

Q: When could 'shy' be used to replace 'coy'?

In some situations, the words shy and coy are roughly equivalent. However, shy implies a timid reserve and a shrinking from familiarity or contact with others. // shy with strangers

coy

adjective

ˈkȯi

Definition of coy next

as in coquettish

affecting shyness or modesty in order to attract masculine interest not wanting him to know that she was interested in him, she acted very coy at the dance

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

uncoy

as in shy

not comfortable around people a coy toddler who hides whenever anyone comes to the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective coy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of coy are bashful, diffident, modest, and shy. While all these words mean "not inclined to be forward," coy implies a pretended shyness.

put off by her coy manner

Where would bashful be a reasonable alternative to coy?

While in some cases nearly identical to coy, bashful implies a frightened or hesitant shyness characteristic of childhood and adolescence.

a bashful boy out on his first date

When would diffident be a good substitute for coy?

While the synonyms diffident and coy are close in meaning, diffident stresses a distrust of one's own ability or opinion that causes hesitation in acting or speaking.

felt diffident about raising an objection

When is it sensible to use modest instead of coy?

The meanings of modest and coy largely overlap; however, modest suggests absence of undue confidence or conceit.

modest about her success

When could shy be used to replace coy?

In some situations, the words shy and coy are roughly equivalent. However, shy implies a timid reserve and a shrinking from familiarity or contact with others.

shy with strangers

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of coy Skeleton Crew plays a bit coy with which elements of Episodes IV through VI first became myth, then product. —

Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2024 No coy Instagram captions, no tagging the romantic partner on their Instagram account, no holding hands in the hallway. —

Stephanie Ganz, Parents, 10 Oct. 2024 When the host asked if Brynn had ever slept with anyone for money, Erin denied knowing anything about her finances and played too coy for Brynn's liking. —

Esther Kang, People.com, 2 Oct. 2024 Google and its partners are being coy about details at the moment. —

Justine Calma, The Verge, 10 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for coy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for coy

Adjective

The club has an owner in David Tepper who isn’t shy to take big swings.

— Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2025
The team’s 502 points marked just the second time in franchise history that Tampa Bay totaled over 500 points and was just nine points shy of matching the franchise-best mark of 511 points in 2021.

— Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025