| Main Entry: | shy |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | quiet and self-conscious |
Synonyms: |
afraid, apprehensive, averse, backward, bashful, cautious, chary, circumspect, conscious, coy, demure, diffident, disinclined, distrustful, fearful, hesitant, humble, indisposed, introvert, introverted, loath, loner, modest, nervous, recessive, reluctant, reserved, reticent, retiring, self-effacing, shamefaced, sheepish, shrinking, skittish, suspicious, timid, unassertive, unassured, uneager, uneffusive, unresponsive, unsocial, unwilling, wary |
Antonyms: |
confident, extroverted, unashamed, unreserved, unshy |
| Main Entry: | shy |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | lacking, failing |
Synonyms: |
deficient, inadequate, insufficient, scant, scanty, scarce, short, unsufficient, wanting |
Antonyms: |
adequate, enough, sufficient |
| Main Entry: | ashamed |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | regretting, remorseful |
Synonyms: |
abashed, apologetic, bashful, blushing, chagrined, compunctious, conscience-stricken, contrite, crestfallen, debased, demeaned, discomfited, disconcerted, distraught, distressed, embarrassed, flustered, guilty, hesitant, humble, humbled, humiliated, meek, mortified, muddled, penitent, regretful, reluctant, repentant, shamed, shamefaced, sheepish, shy, sorry, stammering, stuttering, submissive |
Antonyms: |
bold, defiant, immodest, not sorry, shameless, unregretful, unremorseful, unself-conscious |
| Main Entry: | avoid |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | refrain or stay away from; prevent |
Synonyms: |
abstain, avert, bypass, circumlocute, circumvent, deflect, desist, ditch, divert, dodge, duck, elude, escape, eschew, evade, fake out, fend off, flee, give the slip, hide, hold off, jump, keep clear, lay low, obviate, recoil, run for cover, shake, shake and bake, shake off, shirk, shrink from, shuffle off, shun, shy, sidestep, skip out on, skip town, skip*, skirt, stay away, stay out, steer clear of, step aside, turn aside, ward off, weave, withdraw |
| Notes: | avert means 'prevent, turn away' and avoid means 'stay clear of, shun' |
Antonyms: |
face, meet, seek, want |
| Main Entry: | backward |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | bashful |
Synonyms: |
afraid, averse, demure, diffident, disinclined, hesitant, hesitating, humble, indisposed, late, loath, modest, reluctant, reserved, retiring, shy, sluggish, tardy, timid, uneager, unwilling, wavering |
Antonyms: |
aggressive, forward, precocious, unshy |
| Main Entry: | balk |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | stop short |
Synonyms: |
cramp, crimp, demur, desist, dodge, evade, flinch, hesitate, recoil, refuse, resist, shirk, shrink from, shy, turn down, upset apple cart |
| Main Entry: | careful |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | cautious; painstaking |
Synonyms: |
accurate, alert, apprehensive, assiduous, attentive, chary, choosy, circumspect, concerned, conscientious, conservative, cool, deliberate, discreet, exacting, fastidious, finicky, fussy, going to great lengths, guarded, heedful, judicious, leery, meticulous, mindful, observant, particular, playing safe, precise, prim, protective, provident, prudent, punctilious, regardful, religious, rigorous, scrupulous, selfdisciplined, shy, sober, solicitous, solid, thorough, thoughtful, vigilant, wary |
Antonyms: |
careless, inattentive, incautious, thoughtless, uncareful, unconcerned, unscrupulous |
| Main Entry: | cast |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | throw aside |
Synonyms: |
boot, bung, chuck, drive, drop, fire*, fling, heave, hurl, impel, launch, lob, peg, pitch, project, shed, shy, sling, thrust, toss |
Antonyms: |
catch, gather |
| Main Entry: | chuck |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | throw aside, throw away, throw out |
Synonyms: |
abandon, can, cast, desert, discard, ditch, eighty-six, eject, fire, fling, flip, forsake, give the heave ho, heave, hurl, jettison, junk, launch, pitch, quit, reject, relinquish, renounce, scrap, shed, shy, sling, slough, toss |
Antonyms: |
keep |
| Main Entry: | cowardly |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | fearful |
Synonyms: |
afraid, anxious, apprehensive, backward, base, caitiff, chicken-hearted, cowering, cowhearted, craven, dastardly, diffident, dismayed, fainthearted, frightened, gutless, having the willies, jittery, lacking courage, lily-livered, nervous, no guts, panicky, paper tiger, pigeonhearted, pusillanimous, recreant, retiring, running scared, scared, shrinking, shy, soft*, spineless, timid, timorous, weak, weak-kneed, worthless, yellow*, yellow-bellied |
Antonyms: |
bold, brave, courageous, daring, dauntless, unafraid, undaunted, unfearful |