1
as in timid
easily frightened
a shy cat who hid under the bed every time she heard any loud noise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in withdrawn
not comfortable around people
a shy person who finds talking to anyone but a close friend to be an awkward and unpleasant experience
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
the team is shy a couple of players because of illness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in notorious
not respectable
she was nervous about being left alone in a shy bar in a bad section of town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
a shy person
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 shy
Jordana Comiter, People.com, 23 Feb. 2025
The Oak Park, Illinois native died of natural causes on Dec. 31, 2021, just weeks shy of her 100th birthday.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2025
Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
But the second season shies away from revealing much more about the savvy ex-cocktail waitress, who has a gift for sniffing out lies.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shy
Adjective
Along the way, the characters aren't shy about mixing their professional and personal lives.
—Jordana Comiter, People.com, 23 Feb. 2025
The Oak Park, Illinois native died of natural causes on Dec. 31, 2021, just weeks shy of her 100th birthday.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2025
Verb
Many new managers shy away from difficult conversations, hoping issues resolve themselves.
—Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
But the second season shies away from revealing much more about the savvy ex-cocktail waitress, who has a gift for sniffing out lies.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shy
Adjective
-
Cannoli certainly seemed to be timid around dogs who bark a lot, leading Saulino to believe she felt intimidated by them.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Zych was impressed by Lekki’s transformation from timid freshman to inspiring team leader.—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Solitary, eccentric, shrouded in a mystical melancholy, Joakim fights for his farm and leads a withdrawn life, with only his pets and a neighbor for company; a Slovak immigrant who also lives ostracized, as an outsider.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2025
-
Hong’s withdrawn gaze is interrupted by sudden movements, like pans across space and crash zooms into ongoing conversations.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
In Bucha, a Ukrainian suburb that was the site of a notorious massacre, residents worried that they had been abandoned.—
Natasha Frost,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
-
Perkins did, however, take inspiration from one of the most notorious unsolved murder cases in history: the death of JonBenét Ramsey.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The Lions were still losing, sure, but Campbell wasn’t flinching.—
Zak Keefer,
The Athletic,
15 Jan. 2025
-
In the 18th episode of the show’s current season, the baller whose team is hoping to become the first NFL squad to win three Super Bowls in a row at the big game on Feb. 9 doesn’t flinch while reading a question about friendship bracelets.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
McNally is professionally bashful about such associations.—
Matthew Schneier,
Vulture,
29 Jan. 2025
-
Some of the folks were happy to have their pictures taken, while others were more bashful and/or private, preferring that only their watch be photographed.—
Allen Farmelo,
Robb Report,
26 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
Even though the amount of each check is lower, investing it in the stock market, which averages an annual return of 10%, could make up for that loss and more.—
Medora Lee,
USA TODAY,
25 Feb. 2025
-
In the Miami area, prices are 12 cents a gallon lower than a month ago and nearly 32 cents lower than a year ago.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
However, much of the material, including Epstein’s infamous contacts book, had already been made public through past litigation and discovery files.—
Kaelan Deese,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Chris Stapleton isn’t taking part in one of Australia’s most infamous concert traditions.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The team found that mature giant kelp beds shrank after the 2016 Soberanes fire in Monterey County, the 2017 Thomas fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and the 2018 Woolsey fire in the Santa Monica Mountains.—
Corinne Purtill,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2025
-
Their education and job opportunities will shrink as a result.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to shy
Cite this Entry
“Shy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shy. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share