shier

[ shahy-er ]

/ ˈʃaɪ ər /

Save This Word!

adjective

a comparative of shy¹.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby shier

Shield of David, Shields, shield-tailed snake, shield volcano, shieling, shier, shiest, shift, shiftable, shift bid, shifter

Other definitions for shier (2 of 2)

shier²

or shy·er

[ shahy-er ]

/ ˈʃaɪ ər /

noun

a horse having a tendency to shy.

Origin of shier

First recorded in 1820–30; shy¹ + -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use shier in a sentence

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 BEAST
After this the Germans unfortunately became very much shier, and the bags fell off considerably.
The History of the 51st (Highland) Division 1914-1918|Frederick William Bewsher
Captain Shier's squadron of the First, supported the Fifth with much spirit.
Personal Recollections of a Cavalryman|J. H. (James Harvey) Kidd
They were much shier than the hartebeest and zebra, and upon seeing our approach would be the first to run away.
In Africa|John T. McCutcheon

He was really a fine shier, and his dribbling powers beyond dispute.
Scottish Football Reminiscences and Sketches|David Drummond Bone
Nagkadula ang mga ungguy sukad napusilan ug usa, The monkeys are becoming shier now that one of them was shot.
A Dictionary of Cebuano Visayan|John U. Wolff

British Dictionary definitions for shier (1 of 2)

shier¹

/ (ˈʃaɪə) /

adjective

a comparative of shy 1

British Dictionary definitions for shier (2 of 2)

shier²

shyer

/ (ˈʃaɪə) /

noun

a horse that shies habitually

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