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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.

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

Remote or isolated, possibly inaccessible

Unconventional and slightly disreputable in an attractive manner

Having a considerate or kindly disposition

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

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

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

… more ▼

Adjective

▲

Lacking in courage or confidence

lacking self-confidence

lacking in confidence

colourless^UK

colorless^US

more ❯

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

Adjective

▲

Uncomfortable in the company of other people

lacking self-confidence

like a fish out of water

more ❯

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

Adjective

Modest in nature

keeping a low profile

prim

media-shy

free from vanity

hiding your light under a bushel

worshiping^US

worshipping^UK

grovelling^UK

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

of little consequence

not worth speaking of

not worth bothering about

neither here nor there

as scarce as hens' teeth

woolly^UK

wooly^US

on the back of an envelope

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

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Basely or weakly fearful

afraid of one's own shadow

like a lamb to the slaughter

colourless^UK

colorless^US

without a will of your own

afraid of one's shadow

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Easily agitated or alarmed

like a fish out of water

lacking social skills

in a state of agitation

like a cat on a hot tin roof

like a cat on hot bricks

having butterflies in the stomach

with one's stomach in knots

with your heart in your mouth

shaking in one's shoes

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Not clearly visible or attracting attention

out of the public eye

sombre^UK

somber^US

lacklustre^UK

lackluster^US

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Remote or isolated, possibly inaccessible

in the middle of nowhere

unreachable

backwoods

in the back of beyond

beyond the black stump

uncivilized^US

uncivilised^UK

without a friend in the world

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Unconventional and slightly disreputable in an attractive manner

unsavoury^UK

unsavory^US

unfavorable^US

off-colour^UK

off-color^US

demoralised^UK

demoralized^US

meagre^UK

meager^US

sombre^UK

somber^US

without justification

beneath one's dignity

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Having a considerate or kindly disposition

likeable^UK

likable^US

neighbourly^UK

neighborly^US

favorable^US

favourable^UK

humoring^US

humouring^UK

civilized^US

civilised^UK

easy to get along with

favoring^US

having heart in right place

favouring^UK

with the patience of Job

willing to compromise

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

in disgrace

abased

cheapened

stigmatized^US

stigmatised^UK

put to shame

put down

made to eat humble pie

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

thinking twice

hedging your bets

keeping on one's toes

handling with kid gloves

unsavoury^UK

unsavory^US

on the horns of a dilemma

in a quandary

touch-and-go

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

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

stay in the background

hang fire

be reluctant to come forward

harbour reservations about

be divided

lack conviction

harbour suspicions about

have hesitations about

be sceptical

feel uncertain

have suspicions about

think something unlikely

fluctuate on

wonder about

express suspicions about

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

blow out of the water

meet eyeball-to-eyeball

throw down the gauntlet

drive a coach and horses through

sweat

knock the bottom out of

be rivals

deceive

give the lie to

match yourself against

take wind out of sails

get into conflict with

go eyeball to eyeball with

antagonize^US

antagonise^UK

experience

come into conflict with

go up against in contest

pitch oneself against

take the bull by the horns

knock chip off shoulder

enter into combat with

come to close quarters with

prove to be wrong

show to be wrong

have an argument about

pick an argument with

argue the pros and cons of

bandy words concerning

give the thumbs down to

give something a miss

balk at

give the red light to

have reservations about

entertain doubts about

strike down

raise doubts about

harbour suspicions about

countercheck

remove

ding

express reservations about

blackball

harbour reservations about

have hesitations about

raise objections to

express suspicions about

have suspicions about

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

brutalize^US

brutalise^UK

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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