shiest

[ shahy-ist ]

/ ˈʃaɪ ɪst /

adjective

a superlative of shy¹.

Nearby words

shield volcano, shield-tailed snake, shields, shieling, shier, shiest, shift, shift bid, shift for oneself, shift key, shift lever

Definition for shiest (2 of 2)

shy

[ shahy ]

/ ʃaɪ /

adjective, shy·er or shi·er, shy·est or shi·est.

bashful; retiring.

easily frightened away; timid.

suspicious; distrustful: I am a bit shy of that sort of person.

reluctant; wary.

deficient: shy of funds.

scant; short of a full amount or number: still a few dollars shy of our goal; an inch shy of being six feet.

(in poker) indebted to the pot.

not bearing or breeding freely, as plants or animals.

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

before 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.

ANTONYMS FOR shy

1 forward.

2 trusting.

4 careless.

10 advance.

Related forms

shy·er, nounshy·ly, adverbshy·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for shiest

This resentful look is deceptive, however, for the bird is the shiest creature imaginable.
Argentine Ornithology, Volume I (of 2)|P. L. Sclater

British Dictionary definitions for shiest (1 of 3)

shiest

/ (ˈʃaɪɪst) /

adjective

a superlative of shy 1

British Dictionary definitions for shiest (2 of 3)

shy

/ (ʃaɪ) /

adjective shyer, shyest, shier or shiest

not at ease in the company of others

easily frightened; timid

(often foll by of) watchful or wary

poker (of a player) without enough money to back his bet

(of plants and animals) not breeding or producing offspring freely

(foll by of) informal, mainly US and Canadian short (of)

(in combination) showing reluctance or disinclinationworkshy

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

shyly, adverbshyness, noun

Word Origin for shy

Old English sceoh; related to Old High German sciuhen to frighten away, Dutch schuw shy, Swedish skygg

British Dictionary definitions for shiest (3 of 3)

shy

/ (ʃaɪ) /

verb shies, shying or shied

to throw (something) with a sideways motion

noun plural shies

a quick throw

informal a gibe

informal an attempt; experiment

short for cockshy

Derived Forms

shyer, noun

Word 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 shiest

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