1
: lacking in courage or self-confidence
a timid person
2
: lacking in boldness or determination
a timid policy
Synonyms of timid
Examples of timid in a Sentence
She's very timid and shy when meeting strangers.
He gave her a timid smile.
Recent Examples on the Web
Your favorite team probably doesn’t use them much, if at all, because they’re considered extremely difficult and most GMs are timid babies who are afraid of getting yelled at.
—
Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 11 May 2026
That bill is a direct response to a Supreme Court that handed the executive branch a dangerous blank check and a Congress too timid to push back.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Who wants to follow a timid leader, right?
—Aditya Simha, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Kyōsei is not a strategy for the timid.
—Big Think, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for timid
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 11 May 2026
That bill is a direct response to a Supreme Court that handed the executive branch a dangerous blank check and a Congress too timid to push back.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Who wants to follow a timid leader, right?
—Aditya Simha, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Kyōsei is not a strategy for the timid.
—Big Think, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for timid
Cite this Entry
“Timid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/timid. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
