shy1 /ʃaɪ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[shahy] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation 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. (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.
—Idiom12. fight shy of, to keep away from; avoid: She fought shy of making the final decision.
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[Origin: bef. 1000; late ME schey (adj.), early ME scheowe, OE scéoh; 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.
