coyly
Americanadverb
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in a hesitant or indirect manner.
The painting shows an eighteenth-century lady flirting with a coyly blushing young knight.
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in a shy or modest manner.
She read the note and thanked him coyly.
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in a way that shows usually insincere or affected reluctance.
When asked about the movie, she coyly replied, "It's a big secret; I’m not going to tell anybody."
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of coyly
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.
The result was more coyly cute than imaginatively witty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
"Well, he's a top dog in 2025 - absolutely, yeah," Shearer replies coyly, before the pair and Gary Lineker erupt into fits of giggles.
From BBC ● Dec. 6, 2025
The title wraps itself coyly around its three tennis-star lead characters, aptly describing the personal and professional entanglements to come.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2025
But on Jimmy Kimmel’s show, Daniels implied the signature wasn’t hers and coyly answered questions about the allegations.
From BBC ● May 2, 2024
The flowers’ petals curved coyly around the corners of rocks as if they were trying to peek at who might be passing by.
From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis
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