coyly

American  

[koi-lee] / ˈkɔɪ li /

adverb

1. in a hesitant or indirect manner.

   The painting shows an eighteenth-century lady flirting with a coyly blushing young knight.

2. in a shy or modest manner.

   She read the note and thanked him coyly.

3. 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."

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Other Word Forms

• overcoyly adverb
• uncoyly adverb

Etymology

Origin of coyly

coy ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Larger questions are left coyly unresolved so that we leave the theater uneasy.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

The result was more coyly cute than imaginatively witty.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

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

Usually, Mr. Modi avoids even using the word “Muslims,” coyly finding ways to refer indirectly to India’s largest minority group, of 200 million people.

From New York Times • Apr. 22, 2024

“My Ambition leads me not to be first in Rome,” she observed somewhat coyly.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis