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shy

 - 8 dictionary results

shy

1  [shahy] adjective, shy⋅er or shi⋅er, shy⋅est or shi⋅est, verb, shied, shy⋅ing, noun, plural shies.
Use shy 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.

shy

2  [shahy] verb, shied, shy⋅ing, noun, plural shies.
–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
1. to throw with a swift, sudden movement: to shy a stone.
–noun
2. a quick, sudden throw.
3. Informal.
a. a gibe or sneer.
b. a try.
Origin:
1780–90; orig. uncert.

Related forms:
shyer, noun

Synonyms:
1. toss, pitch, fling, cast, flip.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To shy
shy 1   (shī)   
adj.   shi·er (shī'ər) or shy·er, shi·est (shī'ĭst) or shy·est

  1. Easily startled; timid.

    1. Drawing back from contact or familiarity with others; retiring or reserved.

    2. Marked by reserve or diffidence: a shy glance.

  3. Distrustful; wary: shy of strangers.

  4. Not having paid an amount due, as one's ante in poker.

  5. Short; lacking: Eleven is one shy of a dozen.

intr.v.   shied (shīd), shy·ing, shies (shīz)

  1. To move suddenly, as if startled; start.

  2. To draw back, as from fear or caution; recoil.

n.   pl. shies (shīz)
A sudden movement, as from fright; a start.

[Middle English schey, from Old English scēoh.]
shy'er n., shy'ly adv., shy'ness n.
Synonyms: These adjectives mean not forward but marked by a retiring nature, reticence, or a reserve of manner. One who is shy draws back from others, either because of a withdrawn nature or out of timidity: "The poor man was shy and hated society" (George Bernard Shaw).
Bashful suggests self-consciousness or awkwardness in the presence of others: "I never laughed, being bashful./Lowering my head, I looked at the wall" (Ezra Pound).
Diffident implies lack of self-confidence: He was too diffident to express his opinion.
Modest is associated with an unassertive nature and absence of vanity or pretension: Despite her fame she remained a modest, unassuming person.
Coy usually implies feigned, often flirtatious shyness: "yielded with coy submission" (John Milton).
Demure often denotes an affected shyness or modesty: Her assistant nodded in agreement, flashing a demure smile.
shy 2   (shī)   
v.   shied (shīd), shy·ing, shies (shīz)

v.   tr.
To throw (something) with a swift motion; fling.
v.   intr.
To throw something with a swift motion.
n.   pl. shies (shīz)

  1. A quick throw; a fling.

  2. Informal A gibe; a sneer.

  3. Informal An attempt; a try.


[Perhaps from shy1.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

shy  (adj.)
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  (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

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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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.
Cite This Source
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