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fight shy of

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shy

1  [shahy] adjective, shy⋅er or shi⋅er, shy⋅est or shi⋅est, verb, shied, shy⋅ing, noun, plural shies.
Use fight shy of in a Sentence
–adjective
1. bashful; retiring.
2. easily frightened away; timid.
3. suspicious; distrustful: I am a bit shy of that sort of person.
4. reluctant; wary.
5. deficient: shy of funds.
6. scant; short of a full amount or number: still a few dollars shy of our goal; an inch shy of being six feet.
7. (in poker) indebted to the pot.
8. not bearing or breeding freely, as plants or animals.
–verb (used without object)
9. (esp. of a horse) to start back or aside, as in fear.
10. to draw back; recoil.
–noun
11. a sudden start aside, as in fear.
—Idiom
12. fight shy of, to keep away from; avoid: She fought shy of making the final decision.
Origin:
bef. 1000; late ME schey (adj.), early ME scheowe, OE scēoh; c. MHG schiech; akin to D schuw, G scheu; cf. eschew

Related forms:
shyer, noun
shyly, adverb
shyness, noun

Synonyms:
1. Shy, bashful, diffident imply a manner that shows discomfort or lack of confidence in association with others. Shy implies a constitutional shrinking from contact or close association with others, together with a wish to escape notice: shy and retiring. Bashful suggests timidity about meeting others, and trepidation and awkward behavior when brought into prominence or notice: a bashful child. Diffident emphasizes self-distrust, fear of censure, failure, etc., and a hesitant, tentative manner as a consequence: a diffident approach to a touchy subject. 4. heedful, cautious, chary. 10. shrink.

Antonyms:
1. forward. 2. trusting. 4. careless. 10. advance.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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fight   (fīt)   
v.   fought (fôt), fight·ing, fights

v.   intr.

    1. To attempt to harm or gain power over an adversary by blows or with weapons.

    2. Sports To engage in boxing or wrestling.

  2. To engage in a quarrel; argue: They are always fighting about money.

  3. To strive vigorously and resolutely: fought against graft; fighting for her rights.

v.   tr.

    1. To contend with physically or in battle.

    2. To wage or carry on (a battle).

    3. To contend for, by or as if by combat: "I now resolved that Calais should be fought to the death" (Winston S. Churchill).

    4. Sports To box or wrestle against in a ring.

    5. To participate in (a boxing match, for example).

    1. Sports To box or wrestle against in a ring.

    2. To participate in (a boxing match, for example).

  3. To set (a boxer, for example) in combat with another. See Synonyms at oppose.

  4. To contend with or struggle against: fight cancer; fight temptation.

  5. To try to prevent the development or success of.

  6. To make (one's way) by struggle or striving: fought my way to the top.

n.  

  1. A confrontation between opposing groups in which each attempts to harm or gain power over the other, as with bodily force or weapons.

  2. A quarrel or conflict.

    1. A physical conflict between two or more individuals.

    2. Sports A boxing or wrestling match.

  4. A struggle to achieve an objective. See Synonyms at conflict.

  5. The power or inclination to fight; pugnacity: I just didn't have any fight left in me.

Phrasal Verb(s):
fight offTo defend against or drive back (a hostile force, for example).

Idiom(s):
fight fire with fireTo combat one evil or one set of negative circumstances by reacting in kind.

Idiom(s):
fight shy ofTo avoid meeting or confronting.

[Middle English fighten, from Old English feohtan, fihtan.]
fight'a·bil'i·ty n., fight'a·ble adj., fight'ing·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

shy  (v.)
"to throw with a jerk or toss," 1787, colloquial, of unknown origin and uncertain connection to shy (adj.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

fight shy of

Avoid meeting or confronting someone, as in "I have ... had to fight shy of invitations that would exhaust time and spirits" (Washington Irving, Life and Letters, 1821). This usage may allude to a military reluctance to meet or engage with the enemy. [Late 1700s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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