coy
Shy in a playful way, often pretending to be more shy than you really are.
coy in a sentence
- She gave a coy smile and refused to say who had baked the surprise cake.
- When asked about her birthday wish, Lila went coy, giggling and hiding behind her hands.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to coy?
- Ashy
- Bloud
- Copen
- Dbold
Show the answer
A: shy. The other three mean the opposite of coy.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to coy?
- Atimid
- Bmodest
- Cshy
- Dbold
Show the answer
D: bold. The other three mean nearly the same as coy.
Words that mean something similar
shy, timid, modest
Words that mean the opposite
bold, open, loud
More words about character & personality
- crafty: Clever at getting what you want, often by tricking people.
- cunning: Clever at tricking people to get what you want.
- cynical: Believing that people only do things for selfish reasons.
- devious: Sneaky and dishonest in a clever way.
- dignified: Calm, serious and behaving in a way that earns respect.
- diligent: Working hard and taking care over what you do.
- distinguished: Respected and admired, especially for your achievements.
- dogged: Refusing to give up, however hard things get.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test