Meaning & use
timidly
Last updated
Meaning
adverb
In a shy, nervous, or hesitant manner; without confidence.
Grammar: Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. 'Timidly' usually comes after the verb or at the end of a sentence: 'She spoke timidly.' It can also come before the verb for emphasis: 'He timidly raised his hand.'
Patterns
- speak timidly
- act timidly
- smile timidly
She timidly raised her hand to ask a question.
He smiled timidly at the new girl in class.
The puppy approached the stranger timidly, ready to run away.
Common combinations
- speak timidly
- She spoke timidly, barely above a whisper.
- smile timidly
- He smiled timidly when he received the award.
- step timidly
- The child stepped timidly into the dark room.
- ask timidly
- She asked timidly if she could join the group.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shyly
- Shyly emphasizes discomfort around people, while timidly emphasizes lack of confidence and hesitation.
- nervously
- Nervously suggests anxiety or unease, while timidly suggests a lack of courage or boldness.
- hesitantly
- Hesitantly means pausing before acting because of doubt, while timidly means acting with a lack of confidence.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: timidly or timid?
timidly vs timid
Timid is an adjective (a timid person), while timidly is an adverb (to act timidly).
Practice
The little boy ____ approached the big dog.
Choose one answer.
The blank describes how the boy approached, so we need an adverb: 'timidly'. 'Timid' is an adjective and would describe a noun, not a verb. 'Timidity' and 'timidness' are nouns and don't fit the adverb position.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “timidly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.