COY Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'coy' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of coy are bashful , diffident , modest , and shy . While all these words mean "not inclined to be forward," coy implies a pretended shyness. // put off by her coy manner

Q: Where would 'bashful' be a reasonable alternative to 'coy'?

While in some cases nearly identical to coy , bashful implies a frightened or hesitant shyness characteristic of childhood and adolescence. // a bashful boy out on his first date

Q: When would 'diffident' be a good substitute for 'coy'?

While the synonyms diffident and coy are close in meaning, diffident stresses a distrust of one's own ability or opinion that causes hesitation in acting or speaking. // felt diffident about raising an objection

Q: When is it sensible to use 'modest' instead of 'coy'?

The meanings of modest and coy largely overlap; however, modest suggests absence of undue confidence or conceit. // modest about her success

Q: When could 'shy' be used to replace 'coy'?

In some situations, the words shy and coy are roughly equivalent. However, shy implies a timid reserve and a shrinking from familiarity or contact with others. // shy with strangers

coy

adjective

ˈkȯi

Definition of coy

as in coquettish

affecting shyness or modesty in order to attract masculine interest not wanting him to know that she was interested in him, she acted very coy at the dance

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in shy

not comfortable around people a coy toddler who hides whenever anyone comes to the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective coy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of coy are bashful, diffident, modest, and shy. While all these words mean "not inclined to be forward," coy implies a pretended shyness.

put off by her coy manner

Where would bashful be a reasonable alternative to coy?

While in some cases nearly identical to coy, bashful implies a frightened or hesitant shyness characteristic of childhood and adolescence.

a bashful boy out on his first date

When would diffident be a good substitute for coy?

While the synonyms diffident and coy are close in meaning, diffident stresses a distrust of one's own ability or opinion that causes hesitation in acting or speaking.

felt diffident about raising an objection

When is it sensible to use modest instead of coy?

The meanings of modest and coy largely overlap; however, modest suggests absence of undue confidence or conceit.

modest about her success

When could shy be used to replace coy?

In some situations, the words shy and coy are roughly equivalent. However, shy implies a timid reserve and a shrinking from familiarity or contact with others.

shy with strangers

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 coy Ford has been coy about what upgrades the GTD Competition model carries over the standard GTD, which is a $325,000-plus Mustang. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 13 Aug. 2026 While the Disney+ series was always billed a limited series, McGregor has never been coy about his interest in returning for more. — Zack Sharf, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026 Kyiv denied involvement in the attack on Dugina, and remained coy about the attack on Tatarsky. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 The Big Ten, however, has been coy and would seem to be the only other league besides the SEC that could stand on its own. — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for coy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for coy

Adjective

For a vintage summery style, pair a coquettish white kitten heel with a navy polka dot dress.

— Natalie Arroyo Camacho, InStyle, 27 July 2026
With sheer fabrics, lightweight materials, and vintage touches, Bella Hadid succumbed to the most coquettish piece of the moment.

— Teresa Romero Martínez, Glamour, 31 May 2026

Definition of coquettish

Adjective

Dell's strong comments on demand for AI servers is spreading to Nvidia , with shares up more than 3% and trading a few dollars shy of levels after last week's strong earnings.

— Jeff Marks,Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
That's just two shy of the SpaceX reuse record, which was set by B1067 last week.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of shy

Browse Nearby Words

coxswains

coy

coyness

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“Coy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coy. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of coy

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