1
: lacking in courage or self-confidence
a timid person
2
: lacking in boldness or determination
a timid policy
Synonyms
Examples of timid in a Sentence
She's very timid and shy when meeting strangers.
He gave her a timid smile.
Recent Examples on the Web
As Finke’s onstage partner, Livvy Marcus shows versatility as the timid secretary Martha and as two of Annie’s romantic companions on her journey, Celine, a French customs agent, and Fred Rose, an American college professor.
—
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024
By comparison, The American Society of Magical Negroes and American Fiction (which struggles to make its 2001 source material feel of-the-moment) are timid, their satirical and emotional currents never coalescing, or sparking each other, in a satisfying way.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
Piglet, Winnie-the-Pooh franchise (1926–present) Sidekick to: Winnie-the-Pooh Piglet is timid, skittish, and self-conscious; Pooh is oblivious, adventurous, and rumbly-in-my-tumbly goofy.
—Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024
East’s failure to act was timid; his side could have won at least nine tricks at diamonds.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024
Before Chuck, the coverage, nationally, was mostly timid and sporadic.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2024
For the more timid souls, this might be a more doable transition than painting your walls red.
—Vicki Payne, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
But even that 50 seemed only a timid tiptoe into the thermal world beyond the middle- and upper-40s, where readings had mainly resided throughout the hours from just after midnight to well past sunset.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2023
And the period reflects a politically timid nowhere.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024
By comparison, The American Society of Magical Negroes and American Fiction (which struggles to make its 2001 source material feel of-the-moment) are timid, their satirical and emotional currents never coalescing, or sparking each other, in a satisfying way.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024
Piglet, Winnie-the-Pooh franchise (1926–present) Sidekick to: Winnie-the-Pooh Piglet is timid, skittish, and self-conscious; Pooh is oblivious, adventurous, and rumbly-in-my-tumbly goofy.
—Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024
East’s failure to act was timid; his side could have won at least nine tricks at diamonds.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2024
Before Chuck, the coverage, nationally, was mostly timid and sporadic.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2024
For the more timid souls, this might be a more doable transition than painting your walls red.
—Vicki Payne, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
But even that 50 seemed only a timid tiptoe into the thermal world beyond the middle- and upper-40s, where readings had mainly resided throughout the hours from just after midnight to well past sunset.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2023
And the period reflects a politically timid nowhere.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'timid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near timid
Cite this Entry
“Timid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/timid. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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