timid
Americanadjective
-
lacking in self-assurance, courage, or bravery; easily alarmed; timorous; shy.
- Synonyms:
- fainthearted, fearful
-
characterized by or indicating fear.
a timid approach to a problem.
adjective
-
easily frightened or upset, esp by human contact; shy
-
indicating shyness or fear
Synonym Usage
See cowardly.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of timid
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin timidus “fearful,” equivalent to tim(ēre) “to fear” + -idus adjective suffix; see -id 4
Explanation
Timid means "overly cautious or fearful," like a timid driver who drives very slowly or avoids highways altogether. Timid comes from the Middle French word timide, meaning "easily frightened, shy." Those who are timid often worry that things will go wrong: a timid eater orders bland food to avoid the possibility not liking the flavor of something new, just as a timid partygoer talks to people he already knows, afraid that he won't be able to talk to strangers.
Vocabulary lists containing timid
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 5
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Emotions on Display
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
If there was a disappointment, it was the timid performance in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
But it was "far too timid" in view of "the damage and trauma caused by these practices", she added.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
“Before he entered politics, Wilson would describe the American people as ‘selfish, ignorant, timid, stubborn and foolish.’”
From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2026
Before he entered politics, Wilson would describe the American people as “selfish, ignorant, timid, stubborn” and “foolish.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026
Pearl, so timid and quiet, so unsure of herself, fascinated Lexie.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
He was far, far timider than they thought!'
From Hard Times by Dickens, Charles
At the top of the companion—ladder Melissa stood waiting for us, demure, but subdued, with a still timider look than ever upon that sweet, shrinking, small face of hers.
From Stories by English Authors: the Sea by Various
The tenderer and the timider of creatures Often desert the brood that has been handled, Or turned about, or indiscreetly looked at.
From The Young Lady's Mentor A Guide to the Formation of Character. In a Series of Letters to Her Unknown Friends by Lady, An English
She'd eat me," said the spider, "and, anyhow, the competition on the wall is dreadful, and the flies are getting wiser and timider every season.
From The Crock of Gold by Stephens, James
The proximity of the farm had had the effect of scaring antelopes and gazelles and the timider animals away from the neighbourhood.
From Settlers and Scouts by Strang, Herbert
My mean and abject spirit Dost thou rebuke, O timidest of all, Vanquish'd e'en by a woman, her who gave For thee, her young fair husband, her own life!
From Story of Orestes A Condensation of the Trilogy by Moulton, Richard Green
It is said that outside the field of battle he was one of the timidest of men, and even submitted quite tamely to the insolence of his own servants.
From Great Men and Famous Women. Vol. 2 A series of pen and pencil sketches of the lives of more than 200 of the most prominent personages in History by Horne, Charles F. (Charles Francis)
But delays are ever dangerous, and Mr. Price's friend was the timidest of the most timid men.
From The Story of the Great Fire in St. John, N.B., June 20th, 1877 by Stewart, George
I like to know what two observing eyes saw and the feelings that sometimes made the timidest heroes—sometimes cravens.
From The Iron Game A Tale of the War by Keenan, Henry F. (Henry Francis)
Even the timidest soul dare not "stand pat."
From A Preface to Politics by Lippmann, Walter
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
