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

Basely or weakly fearful

Easily agitated or alarmed

Not clearly visible or attracting attention

Unconventional and slightly disreputable in an attractive manner

Embarrassed or guilty because of one's actions, characteristics, or associations

Deserted or not regularly visited or used

Lacking in a required or necessary quality

Tentative, unsure, or slow in acting or speaking

Using, exercising or showing caution

Lacking grace in manner, behavior or appearance

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

To stop and refuse to go forward (usually of a horse)

Noun

An act or instance of throwing or casting something

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Adjective

▲

Lacking in courage or confidence

colourless^UK

colorless^US

keeping a low profile

more ❯

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

Adjective

▲

Uncomfortable in the company of other people

like a fish out of water

more ❯

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

Adjective

Modest in nature

hiding your light under a bushel

grovelling^UK

groveling^US

snivelling^UK

sniveling^US

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“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 your cards close to your chest

keeping people at arm's length

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Adjective

▲

Basely or weakly fearful

afraid of one's own shadow

colourless^UK

colorless^US

flavourless^UK

flavorless^US

without a will of your own

afraid of one's shadow

like a lamb to the slaughter

easily led

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Easily agitated or alarmed

lacking self-confidence

lacking social skills

tongue-tied

like a fish out of water

lacking in confidence

in a state of agitation

like a cat on a hot tin roof

like a cat on hot bricks

having butterflies in the stomach

waiting for the axe to fall

waiting with bated breath

with one's stomach in knots

with your heart in your mouth

fearfully anticipating

apprehensively expecting

shaking in one's shoes

having a funny feeling

at the end of your tether

driven to distraction

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Not clearly visible or attracting attention

out of the public eye

sombre^UK

somber^US

lacklustre^UK

lackluster^US

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Unconventional and slightly disreputable in an attractive manner

unsavoury^UK

unsavory^US

unfavorable^US

sombre^UK

somber^US

meagre^UK

beneath one's dignity

uncivilised^UK

uncivilized^US

meager^US

out of character with

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Embarrassed or guilty because of one's actions, characteristics, or associations

in sackcloth and ashes

dishonoured^UK

dishonored^US

put out of countenance

shown-up

ill at ease

not know where to put yourself

caught with egg on your face

with egg on one's face

wishing the earth would swallow one up

with one's tail between one's legs

stigmatized^US

stigmatised^UK

made to eat humble pie

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Deserted or not regularly visited or used

in the back of beyond

far

hard to find

in the middle of nowhere

beyond the black stump

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

not quite the done thing

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Tentative, unsure, or slow in acting or speaking

sceptical^UK

skeptical^US

on the horns of a dilemma

balking^US

baulking^UK

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Using, exercising or showing caution

skeptical^US

sceptical^UK

playing your cards close to your chest

keeping a weather eye on

walking on egg shells

keeping on one's toes

handling with kid gloves

unsavoury^UK

unsavory^US

on the horns of a dilemma

touch and go

in a quandary

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Lacking grace in manner, behavior or appearance

lacking in social grace

rustical

lacking in social graces

uncivilized^US

uncivilised^UK

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

slip through the net of

escape the clutches of

lead on a merry chase

slip through your fingers

slip through the net

more ❯

Verb

▲

To be hesitant or show reluctance

balk^US

baulk^UK

have misgivings about

have reservations about

drag one's heels over

temporize^US

be on the horns of a dilemma

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

blow out of the water

throw down the gauntlet at

match yourself against

drive a coach and horses through

knock the bottom out of

get into conflict with

go eyeball to eyeball with

come into conflict with

knock chip off shoulder

take the bull by the horns

go up against in contest

pitch oneself against

take wind out of sails

enter into combat with

give someone the brush-off

give someone the go-by

look right through someone

tell someone where to get off

put in one's place

reprove

lash out at

give the cold shoulder

parry

come to close quarters with

have reservations about

entertain doubts about

squelch

quash

raise doubts about

harbour suspicions about

express reservations about

harbour reservations about

have hesitations about

raise objections to

express suspicions about

cast aspersions on

have suspicions about

give cold shoulder to

have an argument about

pick an argument with

argue the pros and cons of

bandy words concerning

go the distance against

hold the line against

sit and take it

put up struggle

persevere in the face of

not give up

hold one's ground against

remain firm

stand firm

stand one's ground against

more ❯

Verb

▲

To turn or cause to turn aside from a course

deviate from the topic

stray from the subject

more ❯

Verb

▲

To stop and refuse to go forward (usually of a horse)

Noun

▲

An act or instance of throwing or casting 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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