What is another word for shy?

Need synonyms for shy? Here's a list of similar words from our thesaurus that you can use instead.

Contexts ▼

Adjective

Lacking in courage or confidence

Uncomfortable in the company of other people

Modest in nature

(informal) Insufficient or less than

Not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily

Easily agitated or alarmed

Unconventional and slightly disreputable in an attractive manner

Lacking in a required or necessary quality

Done working

Lacking grace in manner, behavior or appearance

Not conspicuous

Hard to find, capture, or achieve

Having a considerate or kindly disposition

Verb

(shy from) To avoid due to timidness, caution or aversion

To jump back in fear

(rare) To throw sideways with a jerk

To shun or shy away from

To be hesitant or show reluctance

To disagree with or dispute

To turn or cause to turn aside from a course

Noun

An act of throwing something

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Adjective

▲

Lacking in courage or confidence

sceptical^UK

skeptical^US

colourless^UK

colorless^US

keeping a low profile

balking^US

baulking^UK

on the horns of a dilemma

blowing hot and cold

more ❯

“They were now bold warriors, far from the shy plebeians they once were.”

Adjective

▲

Uncomfortable in the company of other people

dishonoured^UK

dishonored^US

put out of countenance

caught with egg on your face

not know where to put yourself

with egg on one's face

wishing the earth would swallow one up

in sackcloth and ashes

more ❯

“She was painfully shy and would hide in her room whenever guests arrived.”

Adjective

Modest in nature

hiding one's light under a bushel

grovelling^UK

under someone's thumb

groveling^US

more ❯

“Ever the shy lady, she was loathed to sing her own praises.”

Adjective

▲

(informal) Insufficient or less than

meagre^UK

meager^US

not to be had for love nor money

scarcer than hen's teeth

with an insufficiency

with an insufficiency of

more ❯

“The count came up two shy of the expected total.”

Adjective

▲

Not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily

mom^US

mum^UK

wouldn't say boo to a goose

unable to get a word out

unwilling to mix with other people

playing one's cards close to one's chest

forbidding

tongueless

stuck-up

keeping people at arm's length

could hear a pin drop

playing your cards close to your chest

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Easily agitated or alarmed

lacking self-confidence

nerdy

like a fish out of water

lacking social skills

lacking in confidence

lacking in social graces

indelicate

ill-bred

lacking in social grace

in a state of agitation

like a cat on a hot tin roof

with one's stomach in knots

with one's heart in one's mouth

with butterflies in one's stomach

shaking in one's shoes

like a cat on hot bricks

thrown

having butterflies in the stomach

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Unconventional and slightly disreputable in an attractive manner

unsavoury^UK

unsavory^US

meagre^UK

meager^US

unfavorable^US

uncivilised^UK

uncivilized^US

patronizing^US

patronising^UK

without justification

not quite the done thing

sombre^UK

somber^US

out of character with

dishonoring^US

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Lacking in a required or necessary quality

not up to expectations

not up to scratch

too little too late

leaving much to be desired

meagre^UK

meager^US

spoiled^US

spoilt^UK

in a state of disrepair

more ❯

Adjective

Done working

in the back of beyond

far

hard to find

in the middle of nowhere

beyond the black stump

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Lacking grace in manner, behavior or appearance

uncivilized^US

uncivilised^UK

unsavoury^UK

unsavory^US

ill-humored^US

colourful^UK

colorful^US

lacking in social graces

groveling^US

grovelling^UK

like a bull in a china shop

more ❯

Adjective

Not conspicuous

out of the public eye

lacklustre^UK

lackluster^US

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Hard to find, capture, or achieve

Adjective

▲

Having a considerate or kindly disposition

likeable^UK

likable^US

neighbourly^UK

neighborly^US

favorable^US

favourable^UK

civilized^US

civilised^UK

humoring^US

humouring^UK

easy to get along with

favoring^US

favouring^UK

having heart in right place

with the patience of Job

willing to compromise

more ❯

Verb

▲

(shy from) To avoid due to timidness, caution or aversion

“I shy from romantic comedies as I find them rather trite and contrived.”

Verb

▲

To jump back in fear

baulk^UK

balk^US

more ❯

“The horse would shy violently as the sirens wailed.”

Verb

▲

(rare) To throw sideways with a jerk

more ❯

“The farmers began to shy stones at the wolf.”

Verb

▲

To shun or shy away from

have nothing to do with

let well enough alone

balk^US

baulk^UK

baffle

leave behind

give someone the slip

slip through the net of

escape the clutches of

lead on a merry chase

give someone a wide berth

give somebody the slip

run from

give the slip

slip through someone's fingers

resist the temptation to

axe^UK

ax^US

have nothing more to do with

nip something in the bud

give someone the big E

give someone the air

end relations with

bin off

give someone the push

neutralize^US

neutralise^UK

more ❯

Verb

▲

To be hesitant or show reluctance

balk^US

baulk^UK

have misgivings about

have reservations about

drag one's heels over

stay in the background

hang fire

be reluctant to come forward

harbour reservations about

be divided

lack conviction

be irresolute

harbour suspicions about

have hesitations about

be sceptical

feel uncertain

have suspicions about

sit on the fence

think something unlikely

fluctuate on

wonder about

express suspicions about

have one's doubts about

feel uneasy about

be dubious

keep changing your mind

express reservations about

entertain doubts about

temporize^US

temporise^UK

more ❯

Verb

▲

To disagree with or dispute

baulk^UK

balk^US

express disagreement with

be at each other's throats

face down

bump heads

be of a different opinion

take exception

have a different opinion

fight like cat and dog

be divided

be at sixes and sevens

not see eye to eye

go at it hammer and tongs

contradict each other

go for the jugular

lay into

have it out

have a misunderstanding

refuse to accept the authority of

be of a different mind

put up a fight against

expose

neutralize^US

set your face against

argue against

stand up and be counted against

neutralise^UK

criticize^US

come face to face with

criticise^UK

antagonize^US

antagonise^UK

meet eyeball-to-eyeball

set one's face against

blow out of the water

be at odds with somebody

beg to differ

reluct

throw down the gauntlet at

enquire^UK

inquire^US

match yourself against

knock the bottom out of

give the lie to

drive a coach and horses through

deceive

belie

struggle with

get into conflict with

knock chip off shoulder

go eyeball to eyeball with

be pitted against

be opposed to

go toe to toe with

come into conflict with

take the bull by the horns

go up against in contest

try to beat

bid

attempt

pitch oneself against

take issue with somebody

take wind out of sails

enter into combat with

tell someone where to get off

reprove

give the cold shoulder

not hear of

give someone the brush-off

give someone the go-by

come to close quarters with

entertain doubts about

have reservations about

take law into own hands

harbour suspicions about

have suspicions about

raise doubts about

express reservations about

harbour reservations about

have hesitations about

express suspicions about

give cold shoulder to

brazen out

survive

show to be wrong

argue the pros and cons of

blow sky high

declare to be untrue

prove to be wrong

have an argument about

pick an argument with

bandy words concerning

go the distance against

stand one's ground

sit and take it

persevere in the face of

not give up

hold one's ground

hold one's ground against

remain firm

stand one's ground against

take it

hold the line against

put up struggle

stand firm

more ❯

Verb

▲

To turn or cause to turn aside from a course

deviate from the topic

stray from the subject

brutalize^US

brutalise^UK

more ❯

Noun

▲

An act of throwing something

more ❯

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What is another word for shy?

Need synonyms for shy? Here's a list of similar words from our thesaurus that you can use instead.

Related Words and Phrases

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