coy
adjective
artfully or affectedly shy or reserved; slyly hesitant; coquettish.
coy
American
[koi]
/ kɔɪ /
adjective
-
coyer,
comparative
-
coyest
superlative
-
artfully or affectedly shy or reserved; slyly hesitant; coquettish.
-
showing reluctance, especially when insincere or affected, to reveal one's plans or opinions, make a commitment, or take a stand.
The mayor was coy about his future political aspirations.
-
Archaic. disdainful; aloof.
-
Obsolete. quiet; reserved.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
Obsolete.
-
to quiet; soothe.
-
to pat; caress.
coy
1
British
/ kɔɪ /
adjective
-
(usually of a woman) affectedly demure, esp in a playful or provocative manner
-
shy; modest
-
evasive, esp in an annoying way
Coy.
2
British
abbreviation
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
coyishnessnoun
-
coynessnoun
-
overcoynessnoun
-
uncoynessnoun
-
coyishadjective
-
overcoyadjective
-
uncoyadjective
-
coylyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of coy
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French coi, quoy “calm,” Old French quei, from unattested Vulgar Latin quētus, for Latin quiētus quiet
Explanation
Take the adjective coy for a person who pretends to be shy but really isn't, or someone who could give a definite answer but won't. Coy behavior can be playful or just plain annoying. Originally meaning "quiet and shy," today someone who is coy pretends to be shy in a playful manner — often as a form of flirting. If a politician is coy about something, he or she only gives vague statements on an issue for fear of committing to a position or angering his or her constituency. Common to both of these senses is the fact that a person uses coyness to subtly manipulate his or her audience.
Vocabulary lists containing coy
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Things They Carried
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The word “DeFiant” was a coy wink to this idea of decentralized currency, known as DeFi, the ostensible rationale for the new Trump–Witkoff platform.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
But Peter Ricketts, the UK's Bayeux Tapestry envoy, remained coy about the exact date the "incredibly fragile object" would arrive from its home in northern France for a major exhibition at the British Museum.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Afterwards, Williams remained coy when asked about the prospect of playing singles at Wimbledon, but returned to London the following day and started practising at SW19 on Thursday.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
Ternus called it an “incredible honor” to follow in Cook’s footsteps and touted Apple’s product road map, but was coy about details.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
“Like it? Well, that’s too bad,” she said with a coy smile.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
What was left of "E" Coy. entrained on 26th October, 1915, at Gailes for Ripon.
From The Seventeenth Highland Light Infantry (Glasgow Chamber of Commerce Battalion) Record of War Service, 1914-1918 by John W. Arthur
My "A" Coy. got as far as Kut and was set to feverish entrenching and wiring.
From Letters from Mesopotamia in 1915 and January, 1916, from Robert Palmer, who was killed in the Battle of Um El Hannah, June 21, 1916, aged 27 years by Robert Stafford Arthur Palmer
"A" Coy. has been working at top pressure there, entrenching and putting up wire entanglements.
From Letters from Mesopotamia in 1915 and January, 1916, from Robert Palmer, who was killed in the Battle of Um El Hannah, June 21, 1916, aged 27 years by Robert Stafford Arthur Palmer
My Coy. is being bombarded at Kut still.
From Letters from Mesopotamia in 1915 and January, 1916, from Robert Palmer, who was killed in the Battle of Um El Hannah, June 21, 1916, aged 27 years by Robert Stafford Arthur Palmer
Then over fifty are on jobs which take them away from the Coy. and from ten to twenty go on guards every day.
From Letters from Mesopotamia in 1915 and January, 1916, from Robert Palmer, who was killed in the Battle of Um El Hannah, June 21, 1916, aged 27 years by Robert Stafford Arthur Palmer
One of the prominent members is Yuri Barsakov, whose coyer is the Izvestia News Agency.
From Time Magazine Archive
Unlike his coyer colleagues, Wilson was never afraid to turn his searchlight on himself.
From Time Magazine Archive
Sir: You have so frightened the South African government by your coyer story that they cannot make up their minds whether or not to let us read it.
From Time Magazine Archive
Boil slowly for an hour in water to coyer.
From How to Cook Fish by Myrtle Reed
As to the coyer subtleties of the score, their discovery provides fresh interest for repeated hearings, giving The Ring a Beethovenian inexhaustibility and toughness of wear.
From The Perfect Wagnerite, Commentary on the Ring by Bernard Shaw
Ellen DeGeneres made the rounds of the hipper talk shows last week in what appeared to be the coyest exercise in trial ballooning since Colin Powell's book tour.
From Time Magazine Archive
The following year, all the kiddie stars were lisping the lyrics of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and 1952 brought the coyest Christmas hit, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.
From Time Magazine Archive
The coyest and most courted region in the 1968 election season is the South.
From Time Magazine Archive
To him, language is fundamentally the language of love: man wooing meaning, down to the coyest nuance, the most maidenly scruple.
From Time Magazine Archive
I'm hot on the trail of a fullback that will make Ted Coy at his coyest look like the paralyzed inmate of an old man's home.
From T. Haviland Hicks Senior by J. Raymond Elderdice
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
