1 B2 neutral
Of an animal, especially a horse, to suddenly move away from something frightening.
"The horse shied away when the car horn blared nearby."
inseparable
shy away
B2 neutral inseparable intransitive
To move or draw back nervously; to avoid something out of fear or reluctance.
In plain English
To step back or stay away because you feel scared or unsure.
What does "shy away" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To avoid doing something or being in a situation because of nervousness or lack of confidence.
"She tends to shy away whenever someone points a camera at her."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To move away suddenly like a shy or startled animal — the literal image is of a horse shying at a sudden noise.
Actually means
To step back or stay away because you feel scared or unsure.
Usage tip
Often used of animals (especially horses) reacting to sudden movement or sound. In figurative use, typically followed by 'from'. Used to describe habitual avoidance rather than a single sudden action.
Words that pair with "shy away"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
horse camera spotlight confrontation challenge commitment
How to conjugate "shy away"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
shy away
I/you/we/they
3rd person
shies away
he/she/it
Past simple
shied away
yesterday
Past participle
shied away
have + pp
-ing form
shying away
continuous
Hear "shy away" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "shy away" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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