# shy

Pronunciation: say "SHY" /ʃaɪ/

## Adjective

1. Nervous, reserved, or easily embarrassed in the company of others; reluctant to draw attention to oneself or to reveal one's feelings or views.
   - Simple: Feeling nervous or embarrassed around other people and not wanting to talk, be noticed, or show your feelings.
   - _She remained shy at gatherings, rarely speaking unless spoken to._
   - _The new intern was shy with senior colleagues for weeks._
2. Easily frightened or alarmed; naturally timid.
   - Simple: Easily scared and nervous, especially around new people or places.
   - _The shy deer bolted the moment it caught our scent._
   - _Our rescue dog is still shy and flinches at any sudden noise._
4. Short of a full amount; less than what is needed or expected. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A little less than the amount needed or expected.
   - _The donation came in a few thousand dollars shy of the goal._
   - _She was just shy of her twenty-first birthday._
5. Cautious or wary; inclined to distrust or suspicion.
   - Simple: Careful and a bit distrustful about something that might be risky.
   - _Lenders remain shy of borrowers with poor credit histories._
   - _The cat was shy of anyone holding a broom._

## Verb

3. To avoid something out of caution, embarrassment, or timidity.
   - Simple: To keep away from something because you feel scared, careful, or embarrassed.
   - _Investors shy away from markets that seem too unpredictable._
   - _She never shies from a tough question._
6. To start or leap backward suddenly out of fear, as a startled horse.
   - Simple: To suddenly jump back because something scares you.
   - _The mare shied violently at the rattle of the gate._
   - _Deer shy at the slightest unfamiliar sound._
8. To throw something sideways with a sudden jerk; to fling.
   - Simple: To throw something quickly to the side.
   - _She shied a pebble at the old tin can._
   - _The children would shy apple cores into the ditch._

## Noun

7. A sudden movement sideways, especially one made by a startled horse.
   - Simple: A quick jump to the side, like when a horse gets scared.
   - _The mare's shy at the rustling bushes unseated her rider._
   - _The horse gave a sudden shy when a plastic bag blew past, and the rider nearly fell._
9. An act of throwing something; a toss or fling.
   - Simple: A single throw of something at a target.
   - _She had a shy at the target and just missed the center._
   - _His first shy sent the ball clean over the fence._
11. A stall or spot set up for throwing balls at a target, as at a fair, to win a prize.
   - Simple: A spot at a fair where you throw balls to knock down targets and win prizes.
   - _He paid a coin to try his luck at the coconut shy._
   - _The fair's busiest shy offered cuddly toys to anyone who hit the target._

## Noun

10. A mocking or scornful remark; a taunt or jeer. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: An unkind, mocking remark aimed at someone.

## Other meanings

- (verb) To throw a ball with both hands held above the head, especially when it has gone over the sidelines in a soccer match.
- (noun) A restart in soccer made by throwing the ball back onto the field with both hands held above the head.
- (verb) To return the ball to play from the sidelines in shinty by tossing it overhead and striking it with the stick.
- (noun) In shinty, the move of tossing the ball overhead and striking it with the stick to return it to play after it has left the field.
- (noun) In the Eton College wall game, a point scored by lifting the ball against the wall in the scoring area called the calx.

## Origin

From Middle English shy, from Old English sċēoh ("shy"), going back through Proto-West Germanic and Proto-Germanic words meaning "shy, fearful." It is related to Dutch schuw, German scheu, and Danish sky, all meaning "shy."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/shy (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).