Coyness

Coyness
Coyness Coy"ness, n. The quality of being coy; feigned o? bashful unwillingness to become familiar; reserve. [1913 Webster]

When the kind nymph would coyness feign, And hides but to be found again. --Dryden.

Syn: Reserve; shrinking; shyness; backwardness; modesty; bashfulness. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • coyness — coy ► ADJECTIVE (coyer, coyest) 1) pretending shyness or modesty. 2) reluctant to give details about something sensitive: he s coy about his age. DERIVATIVES coyly adverb coyness noun. ORIGIN Old French coi, from Latin …   English terms dictionary

  • coyness — noun see coy I …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • coyness — See coyly. * * * …   Universalium

  • coyness — noun The property of being coy …   Wiktionary

  • coyness — (Roget s Thesaurus II) noun An awkwardness or lack of self confidence in the presence of others: backwardness, bashfulness, retiringness, shyness, timidity, timidness. See RESTRAINT …   English dictionary for students

  • coyness — coy·ness || kɔɪnɪs n. shyness, bashfulness; flirtatiousness …   English contemporary dictionary

  • coyness — coy·ness …   English syllables

  • coyness — noun the affectation of being demure in a provocative way (Freq. 2) • Syn: ↑demureness • Derivationally related forms: ↑demure (for: ↑demureness), ↑coy • Hyper …   Useful english dictionary

  • coy — [[t]kɔ͟ɪ[/t]] 1) ADJ GRADED A coy person is shy, or pretends to be shy, about love and sex. She is modest without being coy... I was sickened by the way Carol charmed all the men by turning coy. Syn: demure Derived words: coyly ADV GRADED ADV… …   English dictionary

  • shyness — I (Roget s IV) n. Syn. bashfulness, reserve, timidity, modesty, timorousness, timidness, coyness, demureness, sheepishness, diffidence, apprehension, backwardness, nervousness, insecurity, reticence, stage fright, mike fright*; see also restraint …   English dictionary for students

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