coy


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coy

 (koi)
adj. coy·er, coy·est
1.
a. Affectedly and often flirtatiously shy or modest: "I pictured myself as some sylvan deity, and she a coy wood nymph of whom I was in pursuit" (Washington Irving).
b. Characterized by or suggesting such shyness or modesty: "How absurd I must have looked standing there before him ... a coy little simper on my foolish young face" (Jane Avrich).
2. Unwilling to make a commitment or divulge information: "As a child, when I asked my mother her age she was coy and evasive" (Lynne Sharon Schwartz).
3. Tending to avoid people and social situations; reserved: "The children were staring up at him, too coy to question him and too curious not to stare" (Edwidge Danticat).

[Middle English, from Old French quei, coi, quiet, still, from Vulgar Latin *quētus, from Latin quiētus, past participle of quiēscere, to rest; see kweiə- in Indo-European roots.]

coy′ly adv.
coy′ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

coy

(kɔɪ)
adj
1. (usually of a woman) affectedly demure, esp in a playful or provocative manner
2. shy; modest
3. evasive, esp in an annoying way
[C14: from Old French coi reserved, from Latin quiētus quiet]
ˈcoyish adj
ˈcoyishly adv
ˈcoyishness n
ˈcoyly adv
ˈcoyness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

coy

(kɔɪ)

adj. coy•er, coy•est.
1. artfully or affectedly shy or reserved; coquettish.
2. shy; modest.
3. reluctant to reveal one's plans, make a commitment, or take a stand.
4. Obs. quiet; reserved.
[1300–50; Middle English < Anglo-French coi, quoy calm, Old French quei < Vulgar Latin *quētus, for Latin quiētus quiet1]
coy′ish, adj.
coy′ly, adv.
coy′ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

coy

, quiet - Coy and quiet derive from Latin quietus, "at rest, in repose," with coy coming from the Old French form coi (earlier quei), and quiet coming straight from Latin; the original sense of coy was "quiet, still."
See also related terms for quiet.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adj.1.coy - affectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way
modest - not offensive to sexual mores in conduct or appearance
2.coy - showing marked and often playful or irritating evasiveness or reluctance to make a definite or committing statement; "a politician coy about his intentions"
indefinite - vague or not clearly defined or stated; "must you be so indefinite?"; "amorphous blots of color having vague and indefinite edges"; "he would not answer so indefinite a proposal"
3.coy - modestly or warily rejecting approaches or overtures; "like a wild young colt, very inquisitive but very coy and not to be easily cajoled"
timid - showing fear and lack of confidence
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

coy

adjective
1. modest, retiring, shy, shrinking, arch, timid, self-effacing, demure, flirtatious, bashful, prudish, skittish, coquettish, kittenish, overmodest She was modest without being coy.
modest forward, bold, brash, saucy, pushy (informal), brazen, shameless, pert, brassy (informal), impertinent, impudent, brass-necked (Brit. informal), flip (informal)
2. uncommunicative, mum, secretive, reserved, quiet, silent, evasive, taciturn, unforthcoming, tight-lipped, close-lipped The hotel are understandably coy about the incident.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

coy

adjective
1. Not forward but reticent or reserved in manner:
2. Given to flirting:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
خَجول
stydlivýupejpavý
koket
szemérmes
sem er ekki jafn feiminn og hann lætur
apsimestinai droviaiapsimestinai drovusapsimestinis drovumaskukliaikuklumas
biklskautrīgs
hanblivý

coy

[kɔɪ] ADJ (coyer (compar) (coyest (superl)))
1. (= demure) [person, smile] → tímido (pej) (= coquettish) → coqueta, coquetón
2. (= evasive) → esquivo, reticente
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

coy

[ˈkɔɪ] adj
(= shy) [person] → faussement effarouché(e), faussement timide
(= coquettish) [smile] → séducteur/trice
(= reticent) → évasif/ive
to be coy over sth, to be coy about sth → être évasif/ive à propos de qch
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

coy

adj (+er) (= affectedly shy)verschämt; (= coquettish)neckisch, kokett; (= evasive)zurückhaltend; to be coy about something (= shy)in Bezug auf etw (acc)verschämt tun; (= evasive)sich ausweichend zu etw äußern
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

coy

[kɔɪ] adj (-er (comp) (-est (superl))) (affectedly shy, person) → che fa il/la vergognoso/a; (smile) → falsamente timido/a; (evasive) → evasivo/a; (coquettish) → civettuolo/a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

coy

(koi) adjective
(pretending to be) shy. She gave her brother's friend a coy smile.
ˈcoyly adverb
ˈcoyness noun
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
A horse was in waiting to receive the princess, who was mounted behind one of the clerks, and thus conveyed, coy but compliant, to the fortress.
His work is like exquisite modern Latin verse, into the academic shape of which, discreet and coy, comes a sincere, deeply felt consciousness of modern life, of the modern world as it is.
This Nanny was extremely pretty, and altogether as coy; for she had refused a drawer, and one or two young farmers in the neighbourhood, but the bright eyes of our heroe thawed all her ice in a moment.
The anxious mother had to console herself with the fact that her daughter drove away the ineligible as ruthlessly as the eligible, formed no unworldly attachments, was still very young, and would grow less coy as she advanced in years and in what Mrs.
Ungrateful, cruel, coy, and fair, Was she that drove him to despair, And Love hath made her his ally For spreading wide his tyranny.
In this letter, he implored her not to be so cruel as to deny him an interview, and there were a few exceedingly pretty reproaches, touching her recent coy and reserved deportment.
There is but one solitary tenant in the chicken-coop, once a gay and dapper young cock, bearing him so bravely among the coy hens.
Then Louis would show me how--a certain, eloquent glance of eye, a smile, a daring, a lifted hat, a spoken word, hesitancies, giggles, coy nervousnesses--and, behold, Louis acquainted and nodding me up to be introduced.
She herself was now a man-charmer, a mark for Cupid, a Sabine who must be coy when the Romans were at their banquet boards.
Then he was pressing, and you were coy, until finally he extorted your definitive answer, which was--" Maria paused, and seemed to be intensely studying the looks of the other--Miss Henley smiled as she turned her placid, ingenuous features to her gaze, and continued the conversation by repeating,
Sam Coy, up to Atlantic Avenoo, give him his board free fer a year or more on account of his stories.
He thought her smile affected, and the coy sprightliness of her manner irritated him.