Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Easily startled; timid.
- adjective Tending to avoid contact or familiarity with others; retiring or reserved.
- adjective Characterized by reserve or diffidence.
- adjective Distrustful; wary.
- adjective Not having a sufficient or specified amount, as of money.
- intransitive verb To move suddenly or draw back, as if startled or afraid.
- intransitive verb To avoid engaging in, treating, or discussing something.
- noun A sudden movement, as from fright; a start.
- intransitive verb To throw (something) with a swift motion; fling.
- intransitive verb To throw something with a swift motion.
- noun A quick throw; a fling.
- noun Informal A gibe; a sneer.
- noun Informal An attempt; a try.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Readily frightened away; easily startled; skittish; timid.
- Shrinking from familiarity or self-assertive-ness; sensitively timid; retiring; bashful; coy.
- Keeping away from some person or thing through timidity or caution; fearful of approaching; disposed to avoid: followed by of.
- Cautious; wary; careful: commonly followed by of or about.
- Elusive; hard to find, get at, obtain, or accomplish.
- Morally circumspect; scrupulous.
- Keen; piercing; bold; sharp.
- Sly; sharp; cunning.
- Scant. The wind is said to be shy when it will barely allow a vessel to sail on her course.
- Synonyms Diffident, shamefaced. See
bashfulness . - To shrink or start back or aside, as in sudden fear: said specifically of a horse.
- To avoid; shun (a person).
- noun A quick, jerking, or careless throw; a fling.
- noun A fling; a sneer; a gibe.
- noun A trial; an experiment.
- To fling; throw; jerk; toss.
- To throw off; toss or send out at random.
- To throw a missile; specifically, to jerk.
- Hence, in general, to lack; be short of: as, to be shy four dollars.
- noun In cricket, a ball thrown instead of bowled.
- noun A sudden start aside, as from fear, especially one made by a horse.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To start suddenly aside through fright or suspicion; -- said especially of horses.
- transitive verb To throw sidewise with a jerk; to fling.
- noun A sudden start aside, as by a horse.
- noun A side throw; a throw; a fling.
- adjective Easily frightened; timid.
- adjective Reserved; coy; disinclined to familiar approach.
- adjective Cautious; wary; suspicious.
- adjective Slang Inadequately supplied; short; lacking.
- adjective (Poker), Slang owing money to the pot; -- in cases where an opponent's bet has exceeded a player's available stake or chips, but the player chooses to continue playing the hand before adding the required bet to the pot.
- adjective See under
Fight , v. i.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Easily frightened;
timid . - adjective Reserved; disinclined to familiar approach.
- adjective
Cautious ;wary ; suspicious. - adjective
Short ,insufficient orless than. - adjective
Embarrassed .
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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V. i.54 (121,7) [as shy, as grave, as just, as absolute] _As shy_; as reserved, as abstracted: _as just_; as nice, as exact: _as absolute_; as complete in all the round of duty.
Notes to Shakespeare — Volume 01: Comedies Samuel Johnson 1746
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Most experts suggest that the term "shy" should not be used as a label.
The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed Dr. Peter Nieman 2011
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William Sears, a well-known author and pediatrician, feels very strongly that the term "shy" should be avoided.
The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed Dr. Peter Nieman 2011
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Los Angeles had lost a seventh game to Boston four times previously - but those teams didn't have Bryant, who's just one title shy of Michael Jordan's six rings after winning his second title without Shaquille O'Neal, his partner in the first three.
News 2010
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Lee came into the game one win shy of matching the record set by Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez for the best start to a postseason career.
World Series PHOTOS: Giants Top Rangers, 11-7, In Game 1 The Huffington Post News Team 2010
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Lee came into the game one win shy of matching the record set by Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez for the best start to a postseason career.
World Series PHOTOS: Giants Top Rangers, 11-7, In Game 1 The Huffington Post News Team 2010
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They added Anderson to their O-line mix after losing Ogden, took care of rookie passer Joe Flacco, ran the ball solidly with a troika of backs and fell one win shy of reaching the Super Bowl.
Keepers of the blind side: Left tackles the new money position 2009
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Lee came into the game one win shy of matching the record set by Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez for the best start to a postseason career.
World Series PHOTOS: Giants Top Rangers, 11-7, In Game 1 AP 2010
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No matter how much cash the central bank pumps into the banking system, money isn't circulating to the broader economy as companies and individuals remain shy about borrowing, analysts say.
Central Bank Expected to Expand Lending Facility Megumi Fujikawa 2010
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Lee came into the game one win shy of matching the record set by Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez for the best start to a postseason career.
World Series PHOTOS: Giants Top Rangers, 11-7, In Game 1 AP 2010
chained_bear commented on the word shy
In NYPD Blue usage, short for shyster.
October 29, 2008
alandriadenisewalker commented on the word shy
I haave no comment.
May 23, 2009
PossibleUnderscore commented on the word shy
My dear old doll! I was such a shy little thing that I seldom dared to open my lips, and never dared to open my heart, to anybody else.
-Charles Dickens Bleak House
July 26, 2009