shy

You feel nervous around people or become frightened easily.

• The shy child hid behind his mother.
• She feels shy around strangers.
• These birds are shy and difficult to approach.

How to use it: shy around someone (He is shy around unfamiliar people.); shy of someone/something (The deer are shy of humans.)

Similar words: timid, bashful

Opposites: bold, confident

Common phrases: shy child, shy around someone, shy animal

Feeling nervous or uncomfortable when meeting people or getting their attention.

• She is shy around strangers.
• I was too shy to ask her name.
• Were you shy as a child?

How to use it: shy around someone (She feels shy around new people.); shy about doing something (He is shy about speaking in class.)

Similar words: timid, reserved

Opposites: confident, outgoing

Common phrases: shy child, shy around someone, feel shy

Having slightly less than the amount needed or expected.

• We are three players shy.
• The bill was just shy of fifty dollars.
• They stopped a mile shy of the finish.

How to use it: shy of something (We finished just shy of our target.)

Similar words: short

Common phrases: shy of something, just shy of, two shy

Unwilling to tell people which political party you support, especially when answering questions before an election.

• Shy voters may refuse to answer political surveys.
• The poll missed several shy conservative voters.
• Researchers studied the effect of shy voters on election predictions.

Common phrases: shy voters, shy conservatives, shy voter effect

To move suddenly away from something because you are frightened.

• The horse shied at the noise.
• Our pony shies when cars pass too close.
• The mare shied and nearly threw her rider.

How to use it: shy at something (The pony shied at a passing truck.)

Similar words: start, recoil

Common phrases: shy at something, shy away

To throw something with a quick, sudden movement.

• He shied a stone at the wall.
• The boy shied an apple across the yard.
• She shied the ball towards the bucket.

How to use it: shy something at someone/something (He shied a pebble at the empty tin.)

Similar words: throw, fling

Common phrases: shy a stone, shy something at

A fairground stall where you throw objects at targets to win prizes.

• We tried the coconut shy.
• The fair had a shy with wooden targets.
• He won a prize at the coconut shy.

Common phrases: coconut shy, fairground shy