shyness

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The quality of feeling nervous or uncomfortable around other people, especially strangers, and not wanting to be noticed.

   Grammar: No a/an and no plural: overcome shyness.

   Patterns

   • overcome your shyness
   • shyness around someone

   His shyness made it hard for him to speak in class.

   She hid her shyness behind a big smile.

   Shyness around strangers is common in young children.

2. 2noununcountable

   A tendency in an animal to stay away from people or avoid danger.

   Grammar: Refers to behavior of wild or nervous animals.

   Patterns

   • the shyness of something

   The shyness of the deer made them hard to photograph.

   The cat's shyness faded after a few weeks in the new home.

   Wild birds show shyness near busy paths.

Common combinations

overcome shyness

Joining the drama club helped him overcome his shyness.

painful shyness

Her painful shyness made parties a struggle.

natural shyness

His natural shyness disappeared among friends.

extreme shyness

Extreme shyness can sometimes need professional support.

out of shyness

She stayed silent out of shyness, not rudeness.

Synonyms and how they differ

timidity

Timidity suggests fear of risk or conflict, while shyness is more about discomfort in social situations.

bashfulness

Bashfulness is more old-fashioned and often charming, such as a child hiding behind a parent.

reserve

Reserve describes holding back feelings as a habit, and it need not involve nervousness like shyness.

introversion

Introversion is a preference for quiet and being alone, and does not necessarily involve fear like shyness.

Opposites

Word family

shy adjective

nervous around other people

shyly adverb

in a nervous, quiet way

shier adjective

comparative form of shy

shy away verb

to avoid something because of nerves

Commonly confused: shyness or modesty?

Practice

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