shier
1[ shahy-er ]
/ ˈʃaɪ ər /
adjective
a compar. of shy1.
Words nearby shier
Definition for shier (2 of 3)
Definition for shier (3 of 3)
shy1
[ shahy ]
/ ʃaɪ /
adjective, shy·er or shi·er, shy·est or shi·est.
verb (used without object), shied, shy·ing.
(especially of a horse) to start back or aside, as in fear.
to draw back; recoil.
noun, plural shies.
a sudden start aside, as in fear.
Origin of shy
1before 1000; late Middle English schey (adj.), early Middle English scheowe, Old English scēoh; cognate with Middle High German schiech; akin to Dutch schuw, German scheu; cf. eschew
SYNONYMS FOR shy
1 Shy, bashful, diffident imply a manner that shows discomfort or lack of confidence in association with others. Shy implies a constitutional shrinking from contact or close association with others, together with a wish to escape notice: shy and retiring. Bashful suggests timidity about meeting others, and trepidation and awkward behavior when brought into prominence or notice: a bashful child. Diffident emphasizes self-distrust, fear of censure, failure, etc., and a hesitant, tentative manner as a consequence: a diffident approach to a touchy subject.
4 heedful, cautious, chary.
10 shrink.
OTHER WORDS FROM shy
shy·er, nounshy·ly, adverbshy·ness, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for shier
John Kelsey is 47, taller and slighter and shier, with cropped hair and a tendency to withdraw under his baseball cap.
Bernadette Corporation: Mutating Art Collective Succeeds in the Avant Garde|Blake Gopnik|September 7, 2012|DAILY BEASTCaptain Shier's squadron of the First, supported the Fifth with much spirit.
Personal Recollections of a Cavalryman|J. H. (James Harvey) Kidd
British Dictionary definitions for shier (1 of 4)
British Dictionary definitions for shier (2 of 4)
shier2
shyer
/ (ˈʃaɪə) /
noun
a horse that shies habitually
British Dictionary definitions for shier (3 of 4)
shy1
/ (ʃaɪ) /
adjective shyer, shyest, shier or shiest
verb shies, shying or shied (intr)
to move suddenly, as from fearthe horse shied at the snake in the road
(usually foll by off or away) to draw back; recoil
noun plural shies
a sudden movement, as from fear
Derived forms of shy
shyly, adverbshyness, nounWord Origin for shy
Old English sceoh; related to Old High German sciuhen to frighten away, Dutch schuw shy, Swedish skygg
British Dictionary definitions for shier (4 of 4)
shy2
/ (ʃaɪ) /
verb shies, shying or shied
to throw (something) with a sideways motion
noun plural shies
Derived forms of shy
shyer, nounWord Origin for shy
C18: of Germanic origin; compare Old High German sciuhen to make timid, Middle Dutch schüchteren to chase away
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with shier
shy
In addition to the idiom beginning with shy
- shy away from
also see:
- bricks shy of a load
- fight shy of
- once bitten, twice shy
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.