scheu

Meaning

1. shy (reserved)
2. shy, skittish, startlish (easily frightened)

Concepts

shy

skittish

bashful

timid

timidly

modest

nervously

reserved

coy

cowardly

flinchy

weak-kneed

pavid

trepid

trembling with fear

with nervous diffidence

faint-hearted

diffident

Synonyms

schüchtern

ängstlich

😨

furchtsam

😨

verlegen

zurückhaltend

unaufdringlich

flüchtig

wild

zaghaft

Rohling

spröde

unberührt

ungezähmt

unsicher

verklemmt

verschämt

verschüchtert

verunsichert

verwildert

vorsichtig

Wilder

zitternd

angstvoll

😨

ehrfurchtsvoll

schreckhaft

kontaktscheu

selbstunsicher

nicht an Menschen gewöhnt

ausgewildert

abweisend

Nähe des Menschen meidend

befangen

bescheiden

ehrerbietig

eingeschüchtert

gehemmt

kleinlaut

kontaktarm

roh

Dialects

Basel-Landschaft

schyych

Data provided by: Deutsch-Schweizerdeutsches Wörterbuch

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ʃɔʏ̯/

Etymology

From Middle High German schiech, schiehe, schie, schiuch, schiuhe, schūche, from Old High German *skioh, from Proto-West Germanic *skeuh.
The modern form goes back to the Central German forms with -iu-, -ū-. These are usually interpreted as alterations based on Scheu (noun) and scheuen (verb), though this does not seem unquestionable in view of Middle Dutch schu, Middle Low German schǖ. The form with -ie- remains in dialectal Upper German schiech (“ugly”). Cognate with Dutch schuw, English shy.