shy
1
[shahy] adjective, shy·er or shi·er, shy·est or shi·est, verb, shied, shy·ing, noun, plural shies. 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.
(especially of a horse) to start back or aside, as in fear.
10.
to draw back; recoil.
00:10
Shy
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is bowdlerise. Does it mean:
| to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable. |
| chat, to converse |
noun
Idioms 11.
a sudden start aside, as in fear.
12.
fight shy of, to keep away from; avoid: She fought shy of making the final decision.
Origin:
before 1000; late Middle English schey (adj.), early Middle English scheowe, Old English scēoh; cognate with Middle High German schiech; akin to Dutch schuw, German scheu; cf. eschew
before 1000; late Middle English schey (adj.), early Middle English scheowe, Old English scēoh; cognate with Middle High German schiech; akin to Dutch schuw, German scheu; cf. eschew
Related forms
shy·er, noun
shy·ly, adverb
shy·ness, 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.
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.
1. forward. 2. trusting. 4. careless. 10. advance.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
noun
2.
a quick, sudden throw.
3.
Informal.
a.
a gibe or sneer.
b.
a try.
Origin:
1780–90; origin uncertain
1780–90; origin uncertain
Related forms
shy·er, noun
Synonyms
1. toss, pitch, fling, cast, flip.
1. toss, pitch, fling, cast, flip.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To shy
Collins
World English Dictionary
shy1 (ʃaɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj , shyer, shyest, shier, shiest | |
| 1. | not at ease in the company of others |
| 2. | easily frightened; timid |
| 3. | ( |
| 4. | poker (of a player) without enough money to back his bet |
| 5. | (of plants and animals) not breeding or producing offspring freely |
| 6. | informal chiefly (US), (Canadian) ( |
| 7. | (in combination) showing reluctance or disinclination: workshy |
| —vb (usually foll by off | |
| 8. | to move suddenly, as from fear: the horse shied at the snake in the road |
| 9. | to draw back; recoil |
| —n , shyer, shyest, shier, shiest, shies, shying, shied, shies | |
| 10. | a sudden movement, as from fear |
| [Old English sceoh; related to Old High German sciuhen to frighten away, Dutch schuw shy, Swedish skygg] | |
| 'shyer1 | |
| —n | |
| 'shyly1 | |
| —adv | |
| 'shyness1 | |
| —n | |
| shy2 (ʃaɪ) | |
| —vb , shies, shying, shied | |
| 1. | to throw (something) with a sideways motion |
| —n , shies, shying, shied, shies | |
| 2. | a quick throw |
| 3. | informal a gibe |
| 4. | informal an attempt; experiment |
| 5. | short for cockshy |
| [C18: of Germanic origin; compare Old High German sciuhen to make timid, Middle Dutch schüchteren to chase away] | |
| 'shyer2 | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
shy
late O.E. sceoh "shy," from P.Gmc. *skeukh(w)az "afraid" (cf. M.L.G. schüwe, Du. schuw, Ger. scheu "shy;" O.H.G. sciuhen, Ger. scheuchen "to scare away"). Uncertain cognates outside Gmc., unless in O.C.S. scuti "to hunt, incite." It. schivare "to avoid" is a Gmc. loan-word. The verb meaning "to
recoil" first recorded 1650.
shy
"to throw with a jerk or toss," 1787, colloquial, of unknown origin and uncertain connection to shy (adj.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
| Shy Shy-Drager syndrome |
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
shy
In addition to the idiom beginning with shy, also see bricks shy of a load; fight shy of; once bitten, twice shy.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences
He's really quiet and shy, and then all of a sudden he'll drop the funniest line you've ever heard in a conversation.
Lee is quiet and thoughtful and, by his own description, shy.
Companies are still unhelpfully shy of hiring, preferring to squeeze yet more output from fewer people.
In such matters he was reluctant, shy, and reserved.
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