shy
7 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of SHY
[also more shy; most shy]
1
a
:
feeling nervous and uncomfortable about meeting and talking to people
-
a shy, quiet girl
-
I was painfully shy as a teenager.
-
She was too shy to ask for help.
b
:
showing that you are nervous and uncomfortable about meeting and talking to people
-
her shy manner
-
He gave her a shy smile.
2
:
tending to avoid something because of nervousness, fear, dislike, etc.
— often + of
-
publicity shy
-
camera shy
-
He was never shy of controversy.
3
:
hesitant about taking what you want or need
-
Help yourself if you want more. Don't be shy.
4
5
chiefly US
:
having less than a full or expected amount or number
:
short
— usually + of
-
We were shy about 10 dollars.
-
He was two weeks shy of his 19th birthday when he joined the army.
-
The ball stopped just a few inches shy of the hole.
-
He's three credits shy of his bachelor's degree.
fight shy of
British
:
to try to avoid something
-
She has always fought shy of publicity.
once bitten, twice shy
— shyly
adverb-
He answered/smiled shyly.
— shyness
noun [noncount]
2
shy
/ˈʃaɪ/
verb
shies;
shied;
shying
2
shy
/ˈʃaɪ/
verb
shies;
shied;
shying
Britannica Dictionary definition of SHY
[no object]
:
to move away from something because of fear
-
The horse shied when the gun went off.
shy from
(US) [phrasal verb] or shy away from
shy from (something)
(US) or
shy away from (something)
:
to try to avoid (something) because of nervousness, fear, dislike, etc.
-
They never shied from publicity.
-
She shies away from making any predictions.
-
He shied away from discussing his divorce.
