shy

shy¹

S0380500 (shī)adj. shi·er (shī′ər), shi·est (shī′ĭst) or shy·er or shy·est 1. Easily startled; timid: a shy deer.2. a. Tending to avoid contact or familiarity with others; retiring or reserved: a shy student who stayed in the back of the room.b. Characterized by reserve or diffidence: a shy glance.3. Distrustful; wary: shy of strangers.4. Not having a sufficient or specified amount, as of money: was shy $100 on his rent; was two victories shy of the school record.intr.v. shied (shīd), shy·ing, shies (shīz) 1. To move suddenly or draw back, as if startled or afraid: The horse shied at the loud sound.2. To avoid engaging in, treating, or discussing something: "a film adaptation that would not shy away from the novel's controversial themes" (Scot French).n. pl. shies (shīz) A sudden movement, as from fright; a start.

[Middle English schey, from Old English scēoh.]

shy′er n.shy′ly adv.shy′ness n.

shy²

S0380500 (shī)v. shied (shīd), shy·ing, shies (shīz) v.tr. To throw (something) with a swift motion; fling.v.intr. To throw something with a swift motion.n. pl. shies (shīz) 1. A quick throw; a fling.2. Informal A gibe; a sneer.3. Informal An attempt; a try.

[Perhaps from shy.]

shy

(ʃaɪ) adj, shyer, shyest, shier or shiest1. not at ease in the company of others2. easily frightened; timid3. (often foll by of) watchful or wary4. (Card Games) poker (of a player) without enough money to back his bet5. (Biology) (of plants and animals) not breeding or producing offspring freely6. (foll by of) informal chiefly US and Canadian short (of)7. (in combination) showing reluctance or disinclination: workshy. vb (intr) , shies, shying or shied8. to move suddenly, as from fear: the horse shied at the snake in the road. 9. (usually foll by: off or away) to draw back; recoiln, pl shiesa sudden movement, as from fear[Old English sceoh; related to Old High German sciuhen to frighten away, Dutch schuw shy, Swedish skygg] ˈshyly adv ˈshyness n

shy

(ʃaɪ) vb, shies, shying or shiedto throw (something) with a sideways motionn, pl shies1. a quick throw2. informal a gibe3. informal an attempt; experiment4. (Games, other than specified) short for cockshy[C18: of Germanic origin; compare Old High German sciuhen to make timid, Middle Dutch schüchteren to chase away] ˈshyer n

shy¹

(ʃaɪ)

adj. shy•er shi•er, shy•est shi•est, adj. 1. bashful; retiring. 2. easily frightened away; timid. 3. distrustful; wary: shy of publicity. 4. deficient: shy of funds. 5. short of a full amount or number: a few dollars shy of our goal. v.i. 6. (esp. of a horse) to start back or aside in alarm. 7. to draw back; recoil. n. 8. a sudden start aside, as in alarm. [before 1000; early Middle English scheowe, Old English scēoh, c. Middle High German schiech; akin to Dutch schuw, German scheu; compare eschew] shy′er, n. shy′ly, adv. shy′ness, n.

shy²

(ʃaɪ)

v. shied, shy•ing, v.t., v.i. 1. to throw with a swift, sudden movement. n. 2. a quick, sudden throw. 3. a gibe or sneer. [1780–90; orig. uncertain] shy′er, n.

shy

demur, demure - Demur is the verb "to object or voice opposition," while demure is the adjective meaning "modest, shy."
farouche - Means "sullen or shy in company."
milquetoast - Comes from a comic strip character created in 1924 who was shy, timid, and unassertive.
shrinking violet - Violets actually shrink as if they become shy, giving us this term.

shy

Past participle: shied
Gerund: shying

Imperative
shy
shy

Present
I shy
you shy
he/she/it shies
we shy
you shy
they shy

Preterite
I shied
you shied
he/she/it shied
we shied
you shied
they shied

Present Continuous
I am shying
you are shying
he/she/it is shying
we are shying
you are shying
they are shying

Present Perfect
I have shied
you have shied
he/she/it has shied
we have shied
you have shied
they have shied

Past Continuous
I was shying
you were shying
he/she/it was shying
we were shying
you were shying
they were shying

Past Perfect
I had shied
you had shied
he/she/it had shied
we had shied
you had shied
they had shied

Future
I will shy
you will shy
he/she/it will shy
we will shy
you will shy
they will shy

Future Perfect
I will have shied
you will have shied
he/she/it will have shied
we will have shied
you will have shied
they will have shied

Future Continuous
I will be shying
you will be shying
he/she/it will be shying
we will be shying
you will be shying
they will be shying

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been shying
you have been shying
he/she/it has been shying
we have been shying
you have been shying
they have been shying

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been shying
you will have been shying
he/she/it will have been shying
we will have been shying
you will have been shying
they will have been shying

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been shying
you had been shying
he/she/it had been shying
we had been shying
you had been shying
they had been shying

Conditional
I would shy
you would shy
he/she/it would shy
we would shy
you would shy
they would shy

Past Conditional
I would have shied
you would have shied
he/she/it would have shied
we would have shied
you would have shied
they would have shied

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	shy - a quick throw; "he gave the ball a shy to the first baseman"throw - the act of throwing (propelling something with a rapid movement of the arm and wrist); "the catcher made a good throw to second base"
Verb	1.	shy - start suddenly, as from frightjump, startle, start - move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm; "She startled when I walked into the room"
	2.	shy - throw quicklythrow - propel through the air; "throw a frisbee"
Adj.	1.	shy - lacking self-confidence; "stood in the doorway diffident and abashed"; "problems that call for bold not timid responses"; "a very unsure young man"unsure, diffident, timid
	2.	shy - short; "eleven is one shy of a dozen"colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speechinsufficient, deficient - of a quantity not able to fulfill a need or requirement; "insufficient funds"
	3.	shy - wary and distrustful; disposed to avoid persons or things; "shy of strangers"wary - marked by keen caution and watchful prudence; "they were wary in their movements"; "a wary glance at the black clouds"; "taught to be wary of strangers"

shy

adjective1. timid, self-conscious, bashful, reserved, retiring, nervous, modest, shrinking, backward, coy, reticent, self-effacing, diffident, mousy He is painfully shy when it comes to talking to women.
timid forward, confident, assured, bold, cheeky, brash, fearless, pushy (informal), self-confident, self-assured2. cautious, wary, hesitant, suspicious, reticent, distrustful, chary You should not be shy of having your say.
cautious rash, reckless, unsuspecting, unwaryverb1. (sometimes with off or away) recoil, flinch, draw back, start, rear, buck, wince, swerve, balk, quail, take fright The horse shied as the wind sent sparks flying.fight shy of something avoid, dodge, duck (out of) (informal), eschew, shirk Dermatologists fight shy of any question about hormones.shy away from something shrink from, flinch from, fight shy of, baulk at, think twice about, recoil from, be averse to, have misgivings about We frequently shy away from making decisions.

shy¹

adjective1. Not forward but reticent or reserved in manner:backward, bashful, coy, demure, diffident, modest, retiring, self-effacing, timid.2. Not enough to meet a demand or requirement:deficient, inadequate, insufficient, scarce, short, under, wanting.verbTo draw away involuntarily, usually out of fear or disgust:blench, cringe, flinch, quail, recoil, shrink, start, wince.

shy²

verbTo send through the air with a motion of the hand or arm:cast, dart, dash, fling, heave, hurl, hurtle, launch, pitch, shoot, sling, throw, toss.Informal: fire.nounAn act of throwing:cast, fling, heave, hurl, launch, pitch, sling, throw, toss.

Translations

腼腆的受惊害羞的易受惊的胆小的

shy

(ʃai) – comparative ˈshyer or ˈshier: superlative ˈshyest or ˈshiest – adjective1. lacking confidence in the presence of others, especially strangers; not wanting to attract attention. She is too shy to go to parties.害羞的2. drawing back from (an action, person etc). She is shy of strangers.腼腆的3. (of a wild animal) easily frightened; timid. Deer are very shy animals. 胆小的，易受惊的 verb (of a horse) to jump or turn suddenly aside in fear. The horse shied at the strangers. （马等）受惊 ˈshyly adverb 胆怯地，害羞地 ˈshyness noun 胆怯，害羞

shy

→ 腼腆的zhCN

shy

a few bricks shy/short of a load

A pejorative phrase meaning not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. It can appear in many different forms and variations (for example: a few sandwiches short of a picnic, a few cards shy of a full deck, etc.). He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may be a few bricks shy of a load.See also: brick, few, load, of, short, shy

gun-shy

1. Frightened of using a gun or by the sound of one firing. My other three sons all really love to hunt, but Tommy's a little bit gun-shy.2. Hesitant or wary of something or some action, especially after having previously suffered a negative experience of such. I've been rather gun-shy about driving ever since I got into that car accident last year.

be one card shy of a (full) deck

To be not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. This expression can appear in many different forms and variations (e.g., "a few sandwiches short of a picnic," "one brick short of a load.," etc.). He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may be one card shy of a full deck. The new manager is nice enough, but he's one card shy of a deck, if you ask me.See also: card, deck, of, one, shy

one card shy of a (full) deck

A pejorative phrase meaning not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. This expression can appear in many different forms and variations (e.g., "a few sandwiches short of a picnic," "one brick short of a load.," etc.). He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may be one card shy of a full deck. The new manager is nice enough, but he's one card shy of a deck, if you ask me.See also: card, deck, of, one, shy

a sandwich shy of a picnic

A pejorative phrase meaning not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. This expression can appear in many different forms and variations (e.g., several bricks short of a load," "one card shy of a full deck," etc.). He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may be a sandwich shy of a picnic. The new manager is nice enough, but he's a sandwich shy of a picnic, if you ask me.See also: of, picnic, sandwich, shy

one sandwich shy of a picnic

A pejorative phrase meaning not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. This expression can appear in many different forms and variations (e.g., several bricks short of a load," "one card shy of a full deck," etc.). He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may be one sandwich shy of a picnic. The new manager is nice enough, but he's one sandwich shy of a picnic, if you ask me.See also: of, one, picnic, sandwich, shy

shy bladder

Said to be possessed by one who has trouble urinating when others are present, as in a public restroom. I have a shy bladder, so it takes me forever to pee in those crowded stadium bathrooms.See also: bladder, shy

one brick shy of a (full) load

A pejorative phrase meaning not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. It can appear in many different forms and variations (for example: a few sandwiches shy of a picnic, one card shy of a full deck, etc.). He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may be one brick shy of a load. The new manager is nice enough, but he's one brick shy of a full load, if you ask me.See also: brick, load, of, one, shy

shy of (something)

Slightly less than some amount. Our current rent is just shy of $1,500. If it goes any higher, I don't know how we'll be able to afford it. We're just two people shy of a full team. Are any of your friends interested?See also: of, shy

shy away from (someone or something)

To avoid someone or something. I shy away from confrontation because I just don't like conflict. Are you mad at me? You've been shying away from me all day.See also: away, shy

fight shy of (someone or something)

To try to avoid confronting or encountering someone or something. I'm naturally a peacemaker, so I always fight shy of tension.See also: fight, of, shy

once bitten, twice shy

Once one is hurt by someone or something, one will be extra cautious to avoid that person or thing. I've learned my lesson from dating actors—once bitten, twice shy. The company's brief but disastrous attempt was enough for them to vow never to venture into the mobile phone market again. Once bitten, twice shy.See also: once, shy, twice

have a shy at (something)

To attempt to strike or hit something, such as a ball. I had a shy at the ball but didn't hit it very far.See also: have, shy

a few cards shy of a (full) deck

A derogatory phrase meaning not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. It can appear in many different forms and variations (for example: a few sandwiches shy of a picnic, one card shy of a full deck, etc.). He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may be a few cards shy of a full deck. The new manager is nice enough, but he's a few cards shy of a deck, if you ask me.See also: card, deck, few, of, shy

two bricks shy of a (full) load

A derogatory phrase meaning not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. It can appear in many different forms and variations (for example: a few sandwiches shy of a picnic, one card shy of a full deck, etc.). He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may be two bricks shy of a load. The new manager is nice enough, but he's two bricks shy of a full load, if you ask me.See also: brick, load, of, shy, two

few bricks short of a load

and few cards shy of a full deck; few cards short of a deck; not playing with a full deck; two bricks shy of a loadFig. lacking in intellectual ability. (Many other variants.) Tom: Joe thinks he can build a car out of old milk jugs. Mary: I think Joe's a few bricks short of a load. Ever since she fell and hit her head, Jane's been a few bricks short of a load, if you know what I'm saying. Bob's nice, but he's not playing with a full deck. You twit! You're two bricks shy of a load.See also: brick, few, load, of, short

Once bitten, twice shy.

Prov. When something or someone has hurt you once, you tend to avoid that thing or person. Jill: Let's go ride the roller coaster. Jane: No, thanks. I got really sick on one of those once—once bitten, twice shy. I once sent in money for something I saw advertised in the back of a magazine, but the merchandise was of such poor quality I was sorry I'd bought it. I'll never buy anything that way again; once bitten, twice shy.See also: once, shy, twice

one brick shy of a load

Inf. stupid; dense. Joyce has done some stupid things. Sometimes I think she is one brick shy of a load. Ted is one brick shy of a load. He can't seem to do what he is told without messing up.See also: brick, load, of, one, shy

shy away (from someone or something)

to avoid someone or something. The dog shies away from John since he kicked it. I can understand why the dog would shy away.See also: away, shy

three bricks shy of a load

stupid; dense; shortchanged on intelligence. I would never say she was dense. Just three bricks shy of a load. Why do you act like you're three bricks shy of a load?See also: brick, load, of, shy, three

bricks shy of a load

Mentally impaired, either unintelligent or merely eccentric. For example, He may be handsome but he's not too bright-a few bricks shy of a load. This term, transferring a light load to lightweight mental capacity, is usually preceded by either a few or a specific number such as two . [Slang; 1960s] See also: brick, load, of, shy

fight shy of

Avoid meeting or confronting someone, as in "I have ... had to fight shy of invitations that would exhaust time and spirits" (Washington Irving, Life and Letters, 1821). This usage may allude to a military reluctance to meet or engage with the enemy. [Late 1700s] See also: fight, of, shy

once bitten, twice shy

Once hurt, one is doubly cautious in the future, as in He was two days late last time, so she's not hiring him again-once bitten, twice shy. This seemingly old observation, presumably alluding to an animal biting someone, was first recorded in 1894. See also: once, shy, twice

shy away from

Avoid, evade, as in He shied away from all questions concerning his private life. [Late 1700s] See also: away, shy

once bitten, twice shy

once bitten

You say once bitten, twice shy to mean that a bad experience makes you not want to become involved in a similar situation in the future. I'm certainly not looking for a new boyfriend. Once bitten, twice shy. Tokyo's punters, once bitten, twice shy, will not come rushing back for more.See also: once, shy, twice

fight shy of

be unwilling to undertake or become involved with. 1992 Farmers Guardian Welsh companies often fight shy of dealing with the big multiples. See also: fight, of, shy

once bitten, twice shy

a bad experience makes you wary of the same thing happening again. This expression dates from the late 19th century. A variant common in the USA is once burned, twice shy .See also: once, shy, twice

have a shy at

try to hit something, especially with a ball or stone.See also: have, shy

fight ˈshy of something/of doing something

avoid something or doing something; not want to do something: I tend to fight shy of getting involved in protests, but in this case I feel very strongly that we should complain.See also: fight, of, shy, something

ˌonce ˈbitten, ˌtwice ˈshy

(saying) if something has gone wrong once, you are very careful not to let something similar happen again: ‘Will she marry again, do you think?’ ‘I doubt it — once bitten, twice shy.’See also: once, shy, twice

shy away

v.1. To retreat out of a sense of shyness: The deer poked its head out from the bushes and then shied away when it saw me.2. To avoid doing something, especially out of caution or anxiety: The company shied away from giving raises this year.See also: away, shy

one brick shy of a load

mod. stupid; dense. Joyce has done some stupid things. Sometimes I think she is one brick shy of a load. See also: brick, load, of, one, shy

three bricks shy of a load

mod. stupid; dense; shortchanged on intelligence. I would never say she was dense. Just three bricks shy of a load. See also: brick, load, of, shy, three

fight shy of

To avoid meeting or confronting.See also: fight, of, shy

elevator doesn't go to the top floor, the

Describing someone who is simple-minded, not very intelligent. The top floor in this slangy insult denotes the brain. One synonym is a few/two/three bricks shy of a load, indicating a person is short of intelligence. Another is not playing with a full deck, which refers to the card game of poker. Yet another is having only one oar in the water (or not having both oars in the water). All these slangy expressions date from the second half of the twentieth century. For example, “But now this new opportunity had presented itself, and . . . how could he really lose? Okay, she probably wasn’t playing with a full deck, but he didn’t figure her for any more gun wielding” (David Baldacci, Hour Game, 2004). See also: elevator, go, top

once bitten, twice shy

One injury will make one extra cautious in the future. This proverbial saying appears to date from the mid-nineteenth century, although the idea is centuries older. William Scarborough’s version of Chinese Proverbs (1875) stated, “Once bitten by a snake in passing by, a second time he will of grass be shy.”See also: once, shy, twice

shy

shy 1

shy 2

shy

shy

shy1

shy2

shy

shy

shy

shy 1

shy 2

shy

shy

shy

a few bricks shy/short of a load

gun-shy

be one card shy of a (full) deck

one card shy of a (full) deck

a sandwich shy of a picnic

one sandwich shy of a picnic

shy bladder

one brick shy of a (full) load

shy of (something)

shy away from (someone or something)

fight shy of (someone or something)

once bitten, twice shy

have a shy at (something)

a few cards shy of a (full) deck

two bricks shy of a (full) load

few bricks short of a load

Once bitten, twice shy.

one brick shy of a load

shy away (from someone or something)

three bricks shy of a load

bricks shy of a load

fight shy of

once bitten, twice shy

shy away from

once bitten, twice shy

once bitten

fight shy of

once bitten, twice shy

have a shy at

fight ˈshy of something/of doing something

ˌonce ˈbitten, ˌtwice ˈshy

shy away

one brick shy of a load

three bricks shy of a load

fight shy of

elevator doesn't go to the top floor, the

once bitten, twice shy

shy

shy

Shy

Shy

Shy

SHY

shy

Synonyms for shy

adj timid

Synonyms

Antonyms

adj cautious

Synonyms

Antonyms

verb recoil

Synonyms

phrase fight shy of something

Synonyms

phrase shy away from something

Synonyms

Synonyms for shy

adj not forward but reticent or reserved in manner

Synonyms

adj not enough to meet a demand or requirement

Synonyms

verb to draw away involuntarily, usually out of fear or disgust

Synonyms

verb to send through the air with a motion of the hand or arm

shy¹

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