From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtimidtim‧id /ˈtɪmɪd/ adjective FRIGHTENEDSHYnot having courage or confidence SYN shy OPP confident I was a timid child. a policy that is both timid and inadequate► see thesaurus at shy —timidly adverb —timidity /təˈmɪdəti/ noun [uncountable]RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say that someone is shy rather than timid.
Examples from the Corpus
timid• But then, Shyamalan is not an individual who could ever be described as timid.• Ellie and I talked in the kitchen, whispering, both a bit timid.• Bruck is suitably cautious, but not at all timid.• I was always timid about taking action in a crisis, but not Doris.• Many riders we hear about seem unjustifiably timid about taking themselves and their horses off across the countryside.• On the phone, though, her client sounded timid, afraid, lost.• I should have been as timid as the girl herself, if she had looked at me!• a timid child• The nation's newspapers are usually timid in criticizing the military.• "May I come in?" said a timid little voice.• But soon nervous, timid seals tended to live longer than trusting ones, so gradually seals grew more and more wary.• Decker knew that the senior officer was wrong, but was too timid to tell him.• It was a bit like sitting very quietly in a forest and waiting for a rare and timid wild animal to come out.• They think I'm just a timid woman, but I'll show them they're wrong.• Ralph's wife was a small, timid woman who hardly ever spoke.Origin timid (1500-1600) Latin timidus, from timere; → TIMOROUS 