shy: Meaning and Definition of

shy

Pronunciation: (shī), [key]
— adj., v., n., pl. shy•er shi•er, shy•est shi•est, shied, shy•ing, shies.
—adj.
  1. bashful; retiring.
  2. easily frightened away; timid.
  3. suspicious; distrustful: I am a bit shy of that sort of person.
  4. reluctant; wary.
  5. deficient: shy of funds.
  6. scant; short of a full amount or number: still a few dollars shy of our goal; an inch shy of being six feet.
  7. (in poker) indebted to the pot.
  8. not bearing or breeding freely, as plants or animals.
  9. to keep away from; avoid: She fought shy of making the final decision.
—v.i.
  1. (esp. of a horse) to start back or aside, as in fear.
  2. to draw back; recoil.
—n.
  1. a sudden start aside, as in fear.

shy

Pronunciation: (shī), [key]
— v., n., pl. shied, shy•ing, shies.
—v.t., v.i.
  1. to throw with a swift, sudden movement: to shy a stone.
—n.
  1. a quick, sudden throw.
    1. a gibe or sneer.
    2. a try.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also:
  • shy (Thesaurus)