shy

timide, craintif

Qui manque d'assurance avec les autres ou prend peur facilement.

En anglais simple : 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.

Comment l'utiliser : shy around someone (He is shy around unfamiliar people.); shy of someone/something (The deer are shy of humans.)

Synonymes : timid, bashful

Contraires : bold, confident

Expressions courantes : shy child, shy around someone, shy animal

timide

Qui se sent mal à l'aise en rencontrant des gens ou en attirant leur attention.

En anglais simple : 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?

Comment l'utiliser : shy around someone (She feels shy around new people.); shy about doing something (He is shy about speaking in class.)

Synonymes : timid, reserved

Contraires : confident, outgoing

Expressions courantes : shy child, shy around someone, feel shy

en deçà

Un peu inférieur à la quantité nécessaire ou attendue.

En anglais simple : 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.

Comment l'utiliser : shy of something (We finished just shy of our target.)

Synonymes : short

Expressions courantes : shy of something, just shy of, two shy

discret

Qui refuse de dire quel parti il soutient, surtout dans les sondages avant une élection.

En anglais simple : 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.

Expressions courantes : shy voters, shy conservatives, shy voter effect

s'effaroucher

S'écarter brusquement de quelque chose par peur.

En anglais simple : 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.

Comment l'utiliser : shy at something (The pony shied at a passing truck.)

Synonymes : start, recoil

Expressions courantes : shy at something, shy away

lancer

Jeter quelque chose d'un geste rapide et brusque.

En anglais simple : 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.

Comment l'utiliser : shy something at someone/something (He shied a pebble at the empty tin.)

Synonymes : throw, fling

Expressions courantes : shy a stone, shy something at

stand de lancer

Attraction de fête foraine où l'on lance des objets sur des cibles pour gagner des prix.

En anglais simple : 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.

Expressions courantes : coconut shy, fairground shy