Meaning of shy In English

• 0 nervous and uncomfortable with other people:

  • He was too shy to ask her to dance with him.

  • She gave a shy smile.

  • Children are often shy of/with people they don't know.

  • The deer were shy (= unwilling to be near people) and hid behind some trees.

• 1 less than:

  • We're only $100 shy of the total amount.

• 2 (of a horse) to suddenly move sideways or backwards, especially because of fear:

  • The horse shied at the fence.

  • There's a lot of traffic on the road - I'm sure my horse is going to shy.

• 3 to throw something suddenly, often in a sideways movement:

  • Two small boys were shying stones at a tree.

• 4 avoiding or not liking the thing mentioned:

  • camera-shy

  • work-shy

• 5 uncomfortable with other people and unwilling to talk to them:

  • He was too shy to ask her to dance with him.

• 6 (of a horse) to move back suddenly, esp. from fear or surprise.