as in shy
easily frightened
a timid rabbit hopped cautiously out of the hedge
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of timid
That bill is a direct response to a Supreme Court that handed the executive branch a dangerous blank check and a Congress too timid to push back.
—
Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Who wants to follow a timid leader, right?
—Aditya Simha, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Kyōsei is not a strategy for the timid.
—Big Think, 7 May 2026
The road movie, which premiered in Un Certain Regard at CAnnes in 2025, stars Sergio Romano and Pierpaolo Capovilla as two fiftysomething men from Italy’s northern Veneto area who befriend a timid student from Naples, played by Filippo Scotti.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for timid
Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Who wants to follow a timid leader, right?
—Aditya Simha, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Kyōsei is not a strategy for the timid.
—Big Think, 7 May 2026
The road movie, which premiered in Un Certain Regard at CAnnes in 2025, stars Sergio Romano and Pierpaolo Capovilla as two fiftysomething men from Italy’s northern Veneto area who befriend a timid student from Naples, played by Filippo Scotti.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for timid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for timid
Adjective
-
Detmers was still 15 pitches shy of his season-high when Suzuki pulled him.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
-
The Knicks then outscored the Spurs, 58-30, in the second half, leaving them one win shy of their first championship since 1973.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Coming down from the peak of the AIDS crisis, LGBTQ+ community members were fearful of coming out of the closet through the 1990s due to the ongoing stigma facing homosexuality.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2026
-
Pashinyan also repeatedly sought to soothe those fearful of severing ties with Russia, Armenia’s historical protector.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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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
Adjective
-
But the idea of transferring to a new school was scary.—
Susan Svrluga,
Washington Post,
15 June 2026
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It's been scary, and it's been really hard to navigate.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
Children are generally afraid of ghosts, so telling them to be scared of larger bodies is deeply problematic.—
Virgie Tovar,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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People seem to still go to the movies for the communal experience of being scared.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
13 June 2026
Adjective
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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
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Justine Skye took this mousy brown look to the next level by bleaching her brows to match.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Ridge Vineyards is rooted in tradition but not afraid to change with the times.—
Laura Ness,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
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The main character, Holly, belongs to a group of people — or perhaps a generation — afraid that life is always happening somewhere else.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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An Orange County man downed 2 quarts of Jack Daniel’s before firing a gun multiple times inside his Laguna Niguel home, forcing terrified relatives to flee.—
Seamus Bozeman
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
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Social media video showed dozens of terrified elementary schoolchildren crouching down outdoors as the ground beneath them swayed violently in the province of Davao Occidental.—
Kathleen Magramo,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Timid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/timid. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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