Origin: 1500-1600 Latin timidus, from timere; ➔ TIMOROUS
Thesaurus
THESAURUSnervous and embarrassed about talking to other people, especially people you do not know►shy
nervous and embarrassed about talking to other people, especially people you do not know: Carl is a very quiet shy boy. Eva gave the man a shy smile.
►timid
very shy and not brave or confident: He was a timid child who often hid from strangers.
►bashful
shy and not willing to say very much: Rachel blushed and gave me a bashful smile.
►self-conscious
worried and embarrassed about what you look like or what other people think of you: I was too self-conscious to be a good actor.
►quiet
not usually saying very much: Anna is very friendly and chatty but her husband is very quiet.
►reserved
not liking to express your emotions or talk about your problems: James was a quiet, reserved man with few close friends.
►demure
formal shy, quiet, and always well-behaved. Used about girls and women: Tammy was quiet and demure.
►introverted
formal thinking a lot about your own interests, problems, etc., and not liking to be with other people: She was an introverted person who wasn’t interested in most campus activities.
►retiring
formal not wanting to be with other people: Miriam was a shy and retiring woman.
not having courage or confidence: a timid child► see thesaurus at shy1—timidly adverb—timidity /təˈmɪdət̮i/ noun [uncountable]