shy

Meaning

Adj

1. Easily frightened; timid.
2. Reserved; disinclined to familiar approach.
3. Cautious; wary; suspicious.
4. (informal) Short, insufficient or less than.
5. Embarrassed.

Verb

1. To avoid due to caution, embarrassment or timidness.
2. To jump back in fear.
3. To throw sideways with a jerk; to fling.
4. To throw a ball with two hands above the head, especially when it has crossed the side lines in a football (soccer) match.
5. To hit the ball back into play from the sidelines in a shinty match.

Noun

1. An act of throwing.
2. A place for throwing.
3. A sudden start aside, as by a horse.
4. In the Eton College wall game, a point scored by lifting the ball against the wall in the calx.
5. A throw-in from the sidelines, using two hands above the head.
6. In shinty, the act of tossing the ball above the head and hitting it with the shaft of the caman to bring it back into play after it has been hit out of the field.
7. A gibe; a sneer.

Concepts

shy

bashful

timid

ashamed

modest

coy

embarrassed

diffident

timorous

reserved

fearful

afraid

shamefaced

self-conscious

retiring

throw

reticent

withdrawn

shame

be ashamed

pusillanimous

abashed

unsociable

reluctant

be bashful

demure

nervous

skittish

sheepish

fling

wild

indecisive

anxious

faint-hearted

embarrass

abash

unsure

startle

be diffident

cast

hesitant

cautious

flip

pitch

toss

cowardly

very shy person

silent

be abashed

awkward

mousey

be modest

backward

demur

skew

sullen

shot

short

dash

hurl

aloof

shoot

sky

irresolute

fainthearted

shameful

harelipped

afraid of

recoiling

unwilling

introverted

be awkward

be timid

be reluctant

be shamed

hesitate

be embarrassed

be reserved

quiet

inarticulate

mousy

restrained

self-contained

uncommunicative

not bold

shying

blushful

gutless

poor-spirited

sheep-faced

suspicious

distrustful

chary

lacking

trial

thrower

jerk

trembly

tremulous

fear

be startled

person

humble

gloomy

moody

grumpy

morose

surly

niggling

unsocial

range

round

boggler

chicken hearted

coward

craven

dastardly

lily livered

mealymouthed

skulker

white livered

yellow

weak kneed

defective

imperfect

skimpy

blushing

quail

hail

pelt

project

contracted

embarass

unobtrusive

be frightened

distant

blush

be caught up in

inhibited

labour under a delusion

self-effacing

bowl

dish

pass

passing

riposte

roll

rear back

recoil

shrink

shrink back

squinch

bang

clap

plunk

precipitate

slam

blate

chuck

crash

flick

skim

thrust

feel awkward

flinch

tongue-tied

frightened

scared

feel embarrassed

become flustered

taken aback

alarmed

embarassed

shamed

wimpy

decent

make shy

shyness

go down

set

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ʃaɪ/

Etymology

From Middle English shy (“shy”), from Old English sċēoh (“shy”), from Proto-West Germanic *skeuh (“shy, fearful”), from Proto-Germanic *skeuhaz (“shy, fearful”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian skjou (“shy”), Dutch schuw (“shy”), German scheu (“shy”), Danish sky (“shy”).
Etymology tree
Middle English shy
English shy