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, shy, 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. Erik Torenberg:

   Then I asked if these people had ever seen a therapist. No hands went up. One shy person raised their hand and said, ‘I used to, but not anymore’ a bit too declaratively.

3. Todd Kupfer:

   Brianna Kupfer was a great role model, Brianna Kupfer was very, very caring. Brianna Kupfer was reserved and quiet and shy at times and some other times Brianna Kupfer'd be the life of the party and Brianna Kupfer just -- Brianna Kupfer really is the role model, i'm so proud of what Brianna Kupfer's accomplished and where Brianna Kupfer was going.

4. Curt Freed:

   He was a somewhat shy person.

5. Jessica Chastain:

   The first time we met was our first day rehearsal, and I was a bit shy, now it's fun, but in the beginning it can be difficult talking to a teenager... so we literally stood in front of each other and giggled. And it was like,' Hey, what's your favorite movie ?' But I took everything that she did from the first film and used it. I stole her whole performance.