shy 1
— shyer , n. — shyly , adv. — shyness , n.
/shuy/ , adj., shyer or shier, shyest or shiest , v. , shied, shying , n. , pl. shies .
adj.
1. bashful; retiring.
2. easily frightened away; timid.
3. suspicious; distrustful: I am a bit shy of that sort of person.
4. reluctant; wary.
5. deficient: shy of funds.
6. scant; short of a full amount or number: still a few dollars shy of our goal; an inch shy of being six feet.
7. (in poker) indebted to the pot.
8. not bearing or breeding freely, as plants or animals.
9. fight shy of , to keep away from; avoid: She fought shy of making the final decision.
v.i.
10. (esp. of a horse) to start back or aside, as in fear.
11. to draw back; recoil.
n.
12. a sudden start aside, as in fear.
[ bef. 1000; late ME schey (adj.), early ME scheowe, OE sceoh; c. MHG schiech; akin to D schuw, G scheu; cf. ESCHEW ]
Syn. 1. SHY, BASHFUL, DIFFIDENT imply a manner that shows discomfort or lack of confidence in association with others. SHY implies a constitutional shrinking from contact or close association with others, together with a wish to escape notice: shy and retiring. BASHFUL suggests timidity about meeting others, and trepidation and awkward behavior when brought into prominence or notice: a bashful child. DIFFIDENT emphasizes self-distrust, fear of censure, failure, etc., and a hesitant, tentative manner as a consequence: a diffident approach to a touchy subject. 4. heedful, cautious, chary. 11. shrink.
Ant. 1. forward. 2. trusting. 4. careless. 11. advance.
shy 2
— shyer , n.
/shuy/ , v. , shied, shying , n. , pl. shies .
v.t. , v.i.
1. to throw with a swift, sudden movement: to shy a stone.
n.
2. a quick, sudden throw.
3. Informal.
a. a gibe or sneer.
b. a try.
[ 1780-90; orig. uncert. ]
Syn. 1. toss, pitch, fling, cast, flip.