timid

adjective

ˈti-məd How to pronounce timid (audio)
Definition of timidnext
as in shy
easily frightened a timid rabbit hopped cautiously out of the hedge

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of timid Min-ji now understands more about her father’s past and motivations, and no longer sees him as a timid man who would rather bow than fight. — Kayti Burt, Time, 27 July 2026 This is also why Nolan is so timid in addressing Odysseus’s unfaithfulness to Penelope during his seven years on Calypso’s (Charlize Theron) island. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 July 2026 Suki, a vocal Black woman with an at times vulgar persona, whereas Althoff, a white woman, gained a reputation as an awkward, seemingly timid interviewer on her The Really Good Podcast. — Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026 But looked at another way, Caine and other generals are being overly timid and deferential, in part because Pete Hegseth demands it. — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for timid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for timid
  1. shy
  2. fearful
  3. timorous
  4. scary
  5. scared
  6. mousy
  7. afraid
  8. terrified
Adjective
  • Other performers weren’t shy about sharing their political opinions with the world.
    — Michael Collins, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Bournemouth’s ‘executive’ section last year hit that milestone but appears to have been unavailable for this season, taking their top prices just shy of four figures.
    — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of shy
Adjective
  • Yet these survivors are so hard-wired to be fearful of their neighbors that Hig and Cima’s rusty, tentative flirtation takes place under the gaze of her daddy’s gun, a heck of a chaperone.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The regime’s final refuge now lies in the self-deception of fearful nations that still believe accommodating aggression can secure a durable peace.
    — Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of fearful
Adjective
  • The lesser among them, the timorous, the doubtful, and the wavering, stood back, watching, waiting for some greater sign, savoring their doubts.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The great danger of that moment was that a political backlash — abetted by a furious media and timorous politicians — would lead to a restoration of the policy of Roe.
    — The Editors, National Review, 24 June 2025
Definition of timorous
Adjective
  • The scariest part is how little of this chemical can cause such severe damage.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 31 Aug. 2026
  • These changes can sound scary, but preparation and knowledge are key to keeping your hair healthy.
    — Sarah Madaus, InStyle, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of scary
Adjective
  • Across the playground, Star climbed to the top of a slide, then got too scared to come down.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The movie is skipping festivals, which suggests that Warners is scared of critics.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • So that was the music playing in the brain of the mousy defendant.
    — William Finnegan, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • They are joined by Milo (Yeukayi Ushe), whose slippery jelly Tama escapes his control; Ameline (Evanna Lynch), Ssyelle’s mousy, enigmatic roommate; and Milo’s too-cool brother Odward (Waylon Jacobs).
    — Allison McClain Merrill, Parents, 8 June 2026
Definition of mousy
Adjective
  • The most impressive trick Paranormal Activity pulls off is making an entire theater — devotees and newcomers alike — afraid to look away, and giving them one hell of a good time while doing it.
    — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • What’s left is a vaguely political YouTube series afraid of its own tail, incapable of being actually relatable and too cowardly to own the batshit truths of these people’s lives.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of afraid
Adjective
  • Instead, coaches have become more and more terrified through the years of seeing their players getting hurt during largely meaningless games in August.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Tempe police ultimately convinced the couple, who were initially too terrified to report the incident, to share what had happened to them, documents said.
    — Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrified

Browse Nearby Words

timeworn
timid
timidity
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Timid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/timid. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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