shier

¹ American  

[shahy-er] / ˈʃaɪ ər /

adjective

1. a comparative of shy.

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shier ² American  

[shahy-er] / ˈʃaɪ ər /

Or shyer

noun

1. a horse having a tendency to shy.

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shier ¹ British  

/ ˈʃaɪə /

adjective

1. a comparative of shy 1

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shier ² British  

/ ˈʃaɪə /

noun

1. a horse that shies habitually

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Etymology

Origin of shier

First recorded in 1820–30; shy ¹ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

“Mabel 2 is much shier and has more wildness in her,” so she was used in the nervous bird scenes early on.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

“I just loved it. It was a natural fit. I think it’s good for any child, to be honest, for confidence. I was on the shier side.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2025

Toula worked in my shier stage of life.

From Time Magazine Archive

No doubt you are peacefully settled on your ancestral estate with only a few months and a little patience between you and your grandfather’s shier.

From The House of a Thousand Candles by Nicholson, Meredith

There effects are flung at the spectator's head like balls at a cocoanut; if they fail to register a hit it is the fault of the shier, not of the nut.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 159, 1920-07-28 by Various