coy

word

Definition

Describes someone who acts shy or avoids giving clear answers, often to appear more attractive or mysterious.

Usage & Nuances

Usually describes subtle, playful, or flirtatious shyness, especially in romantic contexts. Also used for people avoiding direct answers. Can be positive or mildly critical, not as strong as 'shy.' Often paired with 'smile', 'answer', or 'attitude.'

Spanish: tímido - evasivo Portuguese (BR): tímido - evasivo Portuguese (PT): tímido - evasivo Chinese (Simplified): 害羞的 - 含糊其辞的 Chinese (Traditional): 害羞的 - 含糊其辭的 Hindi: संकोची - टालमटोल करने वाला Arabic: متحفظ - مراوغ Bengali: লাজুক - মৃদু (আচরণে) - সপ্রতিভ (আংশিক আড়াল থাকা)Russian: скромный - застенчивый (игриво) - уклончивый (в ответах)Japanese: はにかみ屋 - つつましい（振る舞い） - はぐらかす（態度）Vietnamese: e thẹn - làm duyên - tránh né (trong lời nói)Korean: 수줍은 - 교태부리는 - 애매하게 말하는 Turkish: utangaç - cilveli (davranışta) - kaçamak (cevaplarda)Urdu: شرمیلا - گریزاں (جواب میں) - ادائیں دکھانے والا Indonesian: malu-malu - genit (bersikap) - mengelak (dalam jawaban)

Example Sentences

Don’t mistake her coy attitude for real shyness—she knows what she’s doing.

natural

She gave a coy smile during the interview.

basic

Stop being so coy and tell us the truth.

basic

The artist was coy about her plans for the next project.

basic

He was being coy about whether he liked her or not.

natural

Her coy answers just made everyone more curious.

natural