Basic+ Word of the Day: shy

shy (adjective)

Shy means ‘timid.’

• The little boy was shy on the first day of school.
• The shy woman spoke softly.

Shy also means ‘not having enough of something.’

• The charity was 20 percent shy of its fundraising goal.

Common uses

shy away from: to avoid something or someone. Example: “Sarah shied away from swimming in the lake because the water was cold.”

In pop culture

Listen to the Cascades sing “Shy Girl.” It begins, “Shy girl/don’t shy away.”

There are other meanings of shy.