Standard Lemma guide

shy

adj · name · noun · verb · 23 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ʃaɪ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪ
  • homophone: Chi (Chicago)
  • CMU ARPABET: SH AY1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Easily frightened; timid.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: bold, brave, confident, courageous, adventurous, fearless, unshy

2

adj

Meaning 2

Reserved; disinclined to familiar approach.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He is very shy with strangers.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: audacious, bold, cheeky, brazen, gregarious, outgoing, confident, forward, unshy

3

adj

Meaning 3

Cautious; wary; suspicious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Short, insufficient or less than.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • By our count your shipment came up two shy of the bill of lading amount.
  • It is just shy of a mile from here to their house.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Less likely to reveal whom they will vote for than average, chiefly in the context of the collective effect this has on polling accuracy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, US

Topics: government, politics

Examples

  • Pollsters need to remember the shy Tory factor.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

name

Meaning 6

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

An act of throwing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A place for throwing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • coconut shy

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

A sudden start aside, as by a horse.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

In the Eton College wall game, a point scored by lifting the ball against the wall in the calx.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

A throw-in from the sidelines, using two hands above the head.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Scotland

Topics: ball-games, games, hobbies, lifestyle, soccer, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

In shinty, the act of tossing the ball above the head and hitting it with the shaft of the caman to bring it back into play after it has been hit out of the field.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Scotland

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

A gibe; a sneer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To avoid due to caution, embarrassment or timidness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shy away

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

To jump back in fear.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The horse shied at the unexpected approach of a motor vehicle.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: start, startle

Antonyms: none provided

16

verb

Meaning 16

To throw sideways with a jerk; to fling.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • to shy a stone
  • shy a slipper

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bowl, bung, cast, chuck, chunk, cook, dash, dump, feck, fling, jerk, heave, hield, hoy, huck, hurl, hurtle, launch, lob, peck, peg, pick, pitch, precipitate, project, quoit, shy, slight, skew, sling, thrill, throw, toss, traject, warp, whang, whip, whop, wing, yeet

Antonyms: none provided

17

verb

Meaning 17

To throw a ball with two hands above the head, especially when it has crossed the side lines in a football (soccer) match.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Scotland, intransitive, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

18

verb

Meaning 18

To hit the ball back into play from the sidelines in a shinty match.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Scotland

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

19

adjective

Meaning 19

lacking self-confidence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • stood in the doorway diffident and abashed
  • problems that call for bold not timid responses
  • a very unsure young man

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: diffident, timid, unsure

Antonyms: none provided

20

adjective satellite

Meaning 20

wary and distrustful; disposed to avoid persons or things

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • shy of strangers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

21

noun

Meaning 21

a quick throw

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he gave the ball a shy to the first baseman

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: throw

22

verb

Meaning 22

throw quickly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: throw

23

verb

Meaning 23

start suddenly, as from fright

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: startle, jump, start

History

Etymology

From Middle English shy (“shy”), from Old English sċēoh (“shy”), from Proto-West Germanic *skeuh (“shy, fearful”), from Proto-Germanic *skeuhaz (“shy, fearful”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian skjou (“shy”), Dutch schuw (“shy”), German scheu (“shy”), Danish sky (“shy”).

Across languages

Translations

282 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: خَجُول (ḵajūl) — easily frightened
  • Arabic: خَجِل (ḵajil) — easily frightened
  • Assamese: লাজুকা (lazuka) — easily frightened
  • Assamese: লাজুকী (lazuki) — easily frightened
  • Assamese: লাজকুৰীয়া (lazokuria) — easily frightened
  • Assamese: লাজুক (lazuk) — easily frightened
  • Assamese: লাজুৱা (lazua) — easily frightened
  • Belarusian: палахлі́вы (palaxlívy) — easily frightened
  • Belarusian: пужлі́вы (pužlívy) — easily frightened
  • Belarusian: страшлі́вы (strašlívy) — easily frightened
  • Belarusian: бая́зны (bajázny) — easily frightened
  • Belarusian: нясме́лы (njasmjély) — easily frightened
  • Bulgarian: боязли́в (bojazlív) — easily frightened
  • Bulgarian: плах (plah) — easily frightened
  • Catalan: tímid — easily frightened
  • Chinese Mandarin: 害羞 (hàixiū) — easily frightened
  • Chinese Mandarin: 怕羞 (pàxiū) — easily frightened
  • Chinese Mandarin: 羞澀 /羞涩 (xiūsè) — easily frightened
  • Chinese Mandarin: 靦腆 /䩄腆 (miǎntiǎn) — easily frightened
  • Chinese Mandarin: 腼腆 (miǎntian) — easily frightened
  • Czech: plachý — easily frightened
  • Czech: bázlivý — easily frightened
  • Czech: nesmělý — easily frightened
  • Dutch: schuw — easily frightened
  • Esperanto: timema — easily frightened
  • Finnish: arka — easily frightened
  • French: timide — easily frightened
  • French: timoré — easily frightened
  • Galician: medoso — easily frightened
  • German: scheu — easily frightened
  • German: schüchtern — easily frightened
  • Greek: ντροπαλός (ntropalós) — easily frightened
  • Greek: φοβητσιάρης (fovitsiáris) — easily frightened
  • Hebrew: בַּיְשָׁן (bayshán) — easily frightened
  • Hungarian: félős — easily frightened
  • Hungarian: ijedős — easily frightened
  • Irish: faiteach — easily frightened
  • Japanese: 弱気 (yowaki) — easily frightened
  • Korean: 수줍다 (sujupda) — easily frightened
  • Latin: timidus — easily frightened
  • Latin: pavidus — easily frightened
  • Latvian: bikls — easily frightened
  • Latvian: kautrīgs — easily frightened
  • Macedonian: срамежлив (sramežliv) — easily frightened
  • Manx: faitagh — easily frightened
  • Marshallese: jok — easily frightened
  • Occitan: timid — easily frightened
  • Old English: sċēoh — easily frightened
  • Plautdietsch: bleed (nds) — easily frightened
  • Polish: nieśmiały — easily frightened
  • Polish: płochliwy — easily frightened
  • Polish: bojaźliwy — easily frightened
  • Polish: strachliwy — easily frightened
  • Portuguese: pávido — easily frightened
  • Portuguese: assustado — easily frightened
  • Portuguese: medroso — easily frightened
  • Romanian: fricos — easily frightened
  • Romanian: timid — easily frightened
  • Romanian: rușinos — easily frightened
  • Russian: пугли́вый (puglívyj) — easily frightened
  • Russian: ро́бкий (róbkij) — easily frightened
  • Russian: несме́лый (nesmélyj) — easily frightened
  • Russian: боязли́вый (bojazlívyj) — easily frightened
  • Russian: стесни́тельный (stesnítelʹnyj) — easily frightened
  • Russian: засте́нчивый (zasténčivyj) — easily frightened
  • Slovak: plachý — easily frightened
  • Slovak: nesmelý — easily frightened
  • Spanish: tímido — easily frightened
  • Swedish: skygg — easily frightened
  • Thai: อาย (aai) — easily frightened
  • Turkish: ürkek — easily frightened
  • Ukrainian: полохли́вий (poloxlývyj) — easily frightened
  • Ukrainian: боязки́й (bojazkýj) — easily frightened
  • Ukrainian: страшли́вий (strašlývyj) — easily frightened
  • Ukrainian: несмі́лий (nesmílyj) — easily frightened
  • Unami: tëtpasi — easily frightened
  • Vietnamese: nhát — easily frightened
  • Vietnamese: nhút nhát — easily frightened
  • Welsh: swil — easily frightened
  • Winnebago: hirošišik — easily frightened
  • Arabic: خَجُول (ḵajūl) — reserved
  • Lishana Deni: נכופא (naxōpa) — reserved
  • Azerbaijani: utancaq — reserved
  • Belarusian: сарамлі́вы (saramlívy) — reserved
  • Bulgarian: стесни́телен (stesnítelen) — reserved
  • Catalan: reservat — reserved
  • Cherokee: ᎤᏕᎰᏌᏘ (udehosati) — reserved
  • Chinese Mandarin: 矜持 (jīnchí) — reserved
  • Chinese Mandarin: 含蓄 (hánxù) — reserved
  • Chinese Mandarin: 怕生 (pà shēng) — reserved
  • Czech: odměřený — reserved
  • Danish: genert — reserved
  • Dutch: schuchter — reserved
  • Dutch: verlegen — reserved
  • Finnish: ujo — reserved
  • French: timide — reserved
  • French: gêné — reserved
  • French: réservé — reserved
  • Galician: reservado — reserved
  • Georgian: მორცხვი (morcxvi) — reserved
  • German: scheu — reserved
  • German: schüchtern — reserved
  • German: schüüch — reserved
  • Greek: ντροπαλός (ntropalós) — reserved
  • Hungarian: félénk — reserved
  • Hungarian: bátortalan — reserved
  • Hungarian: félszeg — reserved
  • Hungarian: gátlásos — reserved
  • Hungarian: szégyenlős — reserved
  • Hungarian: szemérmes — reserved
  • Hungarian: szende — reserved
  • Icelandic: feiminn — reserved
  • Ingrian: ujo — reserved
  • Ingrian: armolliin — reserved
  • Interlingua: timide — reserved
  • Irish: cúthail — reserved
  • Irish: cotúil — reserved
  • Irish: coimhthíoch — reserved
  • Italian: timido — reserved
  • Italian: schivo — reserved
  • Japanese: 引っ込み思案 (hikkomijian) — reserved
  • Japanese: 恥ずかしがり屋 (hazukashigariya) — reserved
  • Japanese: 寡黙 (kamoku) — reserved
  • Japanese: 内気 (uchiki) — reserved
  • Japanese: 人見知りする (hitomishiri suru) — reserved
  • Jeju: 부치럽다 (buchireopda) — reserved
  • Jeju: 수좁다 (sujopda) — reserved
  • Khmer: អៀន (iǝn) — reserved
  • Korean: 수줍다 (sujupda) — reserved
  • Korean: 낯가리다 (natgarida) — reserved
  • Korean: 부끄럽다 (bukkeureopda) — reserved
  • Ladino: arrezistado — reserved
  • Ladino: entravado — reserved
  • Latin: verēcundus — reserved
  • Latvian: bikls — reserved
  • Latvian: kautrīgs — reserved
  • Louisiana Creole: timid — reserved
  • Māori: pūihi — reserved
  • Māori: whakakōkiri — reserved
  • Māori: memeke — reserved
  • Mongolian: бүрэг (büreg) — reserved
  • Mongolian: бишүүрхэх (bišüürxex) — reserved
  • Mongolian: ᠪᠦᠷᠦᠭ (bürüg) — reserved
  • Mongolian: ᠪᠢᠰᠢᠭᠦᠷᠬᠡᠬᠦ (bisigürkekü) — reserved
  • Norwegian: sjenert — reserved
  • Old English: sċēoh — reserved
  • Plautdietsch: bescheiden — reserved
  • Polish: nieśmiały — reserved
  • Polish: wstydliwy — reserved
  • Portuguese: reservado — reserved
  • Portuguese: tímido — reserved
  • Romanian: timid — reserved
  • Romanian: rezervat — reserved
  • Russian: засте́нчивый (zasténčivyj) — reserved
  • Russian: стесни́тельный (stesnítelʹnyj) — reserved
  • Russian: стыдли́вый (stydlívyj) — reserved
  • Russian: ро́бкий (róbkij) — reserved
  • Russian: несме́лый (nesmélyj) — reserved
  • Spanish: reservado — reserved
  • Swedish: blyg — reserved
  • Swedish: skygg — reserved
  • Turkish: utangaç — reserved
  • Ottoman Turkish: محجوب (mahcub) — reserved
  • Ottoman Turkish: اوتانغاچ (utangaç) — reserved
  • Ukrainian: соромли́вий (soromlývyj) — reserved
  • Ukrainian: сором'язли́вий (soromʺjazlývyj) — reserved
  • Unami: kwitayasi — reserved
  • Vietnamese: ngại — reserved
  • Welsh: swil — reserved
  • Winnebago: hirošišik — reserved
  • Yoruba: onítìjú — reserved
  • Yoruba: tijú — reserved
  • Yoruba: tì — reserved
  • Belarusian: баязлі́вы (bajazlívy) — cautious
  • Bulgarian: предпазлив (predpazliv) — cautious
  • Chinese Mandarin: 持重 (chízhòng) — cautious
  • Czech: opatrný — cautious
  • Dutch: verstandig — cautious
  • Dutch: voorzichtig — cautious
  • Finnish: arka — cautious
  • Finnish: varovainen — cautious
  • French: prudent — cautious
  • Georgian: ფრთხილი (prtxili) — cautious
  • Hungarian: óvatos — cautious
  • Hungarian: óvakodik — cautious
  • Japanese: 慎重 (shinchō) — cautious
  • Polish: nieśmiały — cautious
  • Portuguese: cuidadoso — cautious
  • Romanian: precaut — cautious
  • Romanian: prudent — cautious
  • Russian: осторо́жный (ostoróžnyj) — cautious
  • Russian: нереши́тельный (nerešítelʹnyj) — cautious
  • Russian: пугли́вый (puglívyj) — cautious
  • Russian: ро́бкий (róbkij) — cautious
  • Russian: боязли́вый (bojazlívyj) — cautious
  • Spanish: tímido — cautious
  • Swedish: försiktig — cautious
  • Swedish: skygg — cautious
  • Ukrainian: боязки́й (bojazkýj) — cautious
  • Ukrainian: полохли́вий (poloxlývyj) — cautious
  • Winnebago: hirošišik — cautious
  • Bulgarian: недостигащ (nedostigašt) — short, less than
  • Czech: těsně před — short, less than
  • Czech: o něco méně než — short, less than
  • Dutch: klein — short, less than
  • Finnish: vajaa — short, less than
  • French: en moins — short, less than
  • Hungarian: kevesebb — short, less than
  • Hungarian: híján — short, less than
  • Italian: meno — short, less than
  • Swedish: knapp — short, less than
  • Arabic: مُوَرَّط (muwarraṭ) — embarrassed
  • Bulgarian: свенли́в (svenlív) — embarrassed
  • Bulgarian: срамежли́в (sramežlív) — embarrassed
  • Catalan: vergonyós — embarrassed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 難為情 /难为情 (nánwéiqíng) — embarrassed
  • Chinese Mandarin: 尷尬 /尴尬 (gāngà) — embarrassed
  • Czech: stydící se — embarrassed
  • Czech: stydlivý — embarrassed
  • Dutch: verlegen — embarrassed
  • Dutch: beschroomd — embarrassed
  • Dutch: bedeesd — embarrassed
  • Finnish: nolo — embarrassed
  • French: embarrassé — embarrassed
  • German: verlegen — embarrassed
  • Hebrew: בַּיְשָׁן (bayshán) — embarrassed
  • Hindi: लज्जावान (lajjāvān) — embarrassed
  • Hungarian: feszélyezett — embarrassed
  • Hungarian: feszélyezve érzi magát — embarrassed
  • Japanese: 恥ずかしい (hazukashii) — embarrassed
  • Latvian: bikls — embarrassed
  • Latvian: kautrīgs — embarrassed
  • Khiamniungan Naga: mìam — embarrassed
  • Portuguese: avergonhado — embarrassed
  • Portuguese: envergonhado — embarrassed
  • Romanian: jenat — embarrassed
  • Romanian: rușinat — embarrassed
  • Russian: стыдли́вый (stydlívyj) — embarrassed
  • Russian: смущённый (smuščónnyj) — embarrassed
  • Russian: расте́рянный (rastérjannyj) — embarrassed
  • Spanish: vergonzoso — embarrassed
  • Swedish: besvärad — embarrassed
  • Swedish: skamsen — embarrassed
  • Turkish: mahcup — embarrassed
  • Danish: kast — act of throwing
  • Dutch: worp — act of throwing
  • Dutch: aangooi — act of throwing
  • Finnish: heitto — act of throwing
  • French: lancer — act of throwing
  • Portuguese: lançamento — act of throwing
  • Portuguese: arremesso — act of throwing
  • Portuguese: lance — act of throwing
  • Dutch: gooiplek — place for throwing
  • Dutch: gooiplaats — place for throwing
  • Finnish: heittopaikka — place for throwing
  • Czech: uskočit — to jump back in fear
  • Czech: uskakovat — to jump back in fear
  • Dutch: terugspringen — to jump back in fear
  • Finnish: säikkyä — to jump back in fear
  • Finnish: kavahtaa — to jump back in fear
  • French: sursauter — to jump back in fear
  • Irish: scinn — to jump back in fear
  • Irish: clis — to jump back in fear
  • Italian: adombrarsi — to jump back in fear
  • Russian: отпря́нуть (otprjánutʹ) — to jump back in fear
  • Russian: отскочи́ть (otskočítʹ) — to jump back in fear
  • Russian: пря́нуть (prjánutʹ) — to jump back in fear
  • Russian: пря́дать (prjádatʹ) — to jump back in fear
  • Czech: hodit sebou — to fling
  • Czech: mrštit sebou — to fling
  • Czech: praštit sebou — to fling
  • Czech: házet sebou — to fling
  • Czech: mrskat sebou — to fling
  • Danish: kaste — to fling
  • Danish: smide — to fling
  • Dutch: gooien — to fling
  • Dutch: werpen — to fling
  • Dutch: weggooien — to fling
  • Finnish: nakata — to fling
  • Italian: gettare — to fling
  • Italian: scagliare — to fling
  • Spanish: lanzar — to fling