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Glite Dictionary
shilly

shilly

1 9.9
Feeling shy and unsure about what to do
  • adjective
  • Archaic
translation icon : tímido
  • He was feeling quite shilly before giving his presentation in front of the class.
  • shilly-shallying

And like, they just really build a shilly robot and that's the whole movie.

Examples

  • After weeks of shilly behavior, she finally mustered the courage to apply for the job.

  • Don't just stand there shilly; make a decision about which movie to watch.

  • I'll have no more shilly-shallying about the matter.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • And like, they just really build a shilly robot and that's the whole movie.

    H3 Podcast

  • Now that I'm on my way, I intend to tell him a thing or two about his shilly-shallying.

    The Tall Target (1951)

  • Nothing. I'm here to tell you, until you have seen the Holy Ghost, it's all sham and shilly-shally.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Spongebob will return my snail to me without any more shilly-shally.

    The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020)

  • Simply can't understand how I ever came to have a pair of shilly-shallying children like Rone and Ted.

    Blog text (31)

  • But enough shilly-shallying!

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Cheap shilly-shally thrill.

    Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

shy
vsshilly
343 1.0

Nervous and likely to avoid people or new situations

is an old-fashioned label for nervous avoidance and slow action
hesitant
vsshilly
73 3.2

Slow to act or speak because you feel unsure

is an old-fashioned term for slow action from uncertainty and lack of confidence
timid
vsshilly
60 3.5

Shy and afraid to do new or risky things

is an old-fashioned word for general nervousness and slow action
coy
vsshilly
24 5.4

Acting shy to seem playful or avoid answering directly

is an old-fashioned term for genuine nervousness rather than playful evasion
bashful
vsshilly
18 3.2

Shy and easily embarrassed, avoiding attention

is an old-fashioned way to describe modest nervousness and slow action
sheepish
vsshilly
9 4.0

Feeling embarrassed and a little shy because of a mistake

is an old-fashioned term used for embarrassment linked to low confidence
gun-shy
vsshilly
  • Informal
7 7.9

Feeling nervous about doing something because of a past bad experience

is an old-fashioned word for general lack of confidence, not experience-based fear
mousy
vsshilly
5 5.9

Quiet and shy, not confident in groups

is an old-fashioned word used for low confidence and reluctance
diffident
vsshilly
4 8.0

Shy and not confident about speaking or acting in front of others

is an older term meaning low confidence rather than modern phrasing
timorous
vsshilly
  • Formal
1 8.6

Feeling nervous and lacking confidence in new situations

is an old-fashioned label for general nervousness and slow action
trepid
vsshilly
1 9.9

Feeling nervous and afraid to do something new

is an old-fashioned word for nervousness and pausing before action

Antonyms

confident
715 2.5

Feeling sure about yourself or what will happen

Idioms

to stand shilly-shally
  • Archaic
9.9

To be unsure and not decide

How Shy

timid
60 3.5
shilly
  • Archaic
1 9.9
hesitant
73 3.2
reserved
3.7

Surface Forms

shilly positive

Etymology

Shilly is an old-fashioned word that comes from the phrase shilly-shally, a repeating sound people used to show they hesitate. So a shilly person is 'shy' or 'hesitant', and a helpful way to remember it is to imagine someone saying the double sound when they can't decide.