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Shy vs Happy - What's the difference?

shy | happy |

As adjectives the difference between shy and happy

is that shy is easily frightened; timid while happy is experiencing the effect of favourable fortune; having the feeling arising from the consciousness of well-being or of enjoyment; enjoying good of any kind, as peace, tranquillity, comfort; contented; joyous.

As a verb shy

is to avoid due to timidness or caution.

As a noun shy

is an act of throwing.

shy

English

Adjective

(en-adj)
  • Easily frightened; timid.
  • * Jonathan Swift
  • The horses of the army were no longer shy , but would come up to my very feet without starting.
  • Reserved; disinclined to familiar approach.
  • He is very shy with strangers.
  • * Arbuthnot
  • What makes you so shy , my good friend? There's nobody loves you better than I.
  • Cautious; wary; suspicious.
  • * Boyle
  • I am very shy of using corrosive liquors in the preparation of medicines.
  • * Sir H. Wotton
  • Princes are, by wisdom of state, somewhat shy of their successors.
  • Short, insufficient or less than.
  • By our count your shipment came up two shy of the bill of lading amount.
    It is just shy of a mile from here to their house.
  • Embarrassed.
  • See also

    * bashful * reserved * timid * demure * coy

    Usage notes

    * Often used in combination with a noun to produce an adjective or adjectival phrase. * Adjectives are usually applicable to animals (leash-shy'' "shy of leashes" or ''head shy "shy of contact around the head" (of horses)) or to children.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Antonyms

    * brazen * bold * audacious

    Derived terms

    (terms derived using shy as suffix) * -shy * bird-shy * boy-shy * car-shy * cat-shy * camera-shy * cover-shy * girl-shy * gun-shy * hand-shy * man-shy * mouse-shy * noise-shy * people-shy * water-shy * woman-shy * work-shy

    Verb

  • To avoid due to timidness or caution.
  • I shy away from investment opportunities I don't understand.
  • To jump back in fear.
  • The horse shied''' away from the rider, which startled him so much he '''shied away from the horse.
  • to throw sideways with a jerk; to fling
  • to shy''' a stone; to '''shy a slipper

    Noun

    (shies)
  • An act of throwing.
  • (Thackeray)
  • * Punch
  • If Lord Brougham gets a stone in his hand, he must, it seems, have a shy at somebody.
  • * 2008 , (James Kelman), Kieron Smith, Boy , Penguin 2009, p. 55:
  • The game had started. A man was chasing the ball, it went out for a shy .
  • A place for throwing.
  • coconut shy
  • A sudden start aside, as by a horse.
  • In the Eton College wall game, a point scored by lifting the ball against the wall in the calx.
  • Derived terms

    * coconut shy

    happy

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Experiencing the effect of favourable fortune; having the feeling arising from the consciousness of well-being or of enjoyment; enjoying good of any kind, as peace, tranquillity, comfort; contented; joyous.
  • * 1769 , Oxford Standard text, , 144, xv,
  • Happy' is that people, that is in such a case: yea, ' happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.
  • * 1777 , (Alexander Pope), An Essay on Man in Four Epistles: Argument of Epistle II'', in ''The Poetical Works of Alexander Pope, Esq , Volume III, page 26,
  • The learn'd is happy' nature to explore, / The fool is ' happy that he knows no more ;
    Music makes me feel happy .
  • Favored by luck or fortune; lucky.
  • * 1661 , (Robert Boyle), (The Sceptical Chymist) , 2006, Elibron Classics (imprint), page 227,
  • I may presume that what I have hitherto discoursed will induce you to think, that chymists have been much more happy in finding experiments than the causes of them; or in assigning the principles by which they may best be explained.
  • Dexterous; ready; apt; felicitous.
  • * 1761 , (Jonathan Swift), A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation'': Introduction, in ''The works of Dr Jonathan Swift , Volume VII, page 246,
  • For instance, one lady can give an an?wer better than a?k a que?tion : one gentleman is happy at a reply ; another excels in a rejoinder : one can revive a langui?hing conver?ation by a ?udden ?urpri?ing ?entence ;.
  • Content, satisfied (with or to do something); having no objection (to something).
  • Are you happy to pay me back by the end of the week?
    Are you happy with your internet service provider?
  • (As a suffix to a noun) favouring or inclined to use, as in trigger-happy.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=August 21 , author=Jason Heller , title=The Darkness: Hot Cakes (Music Review) , work=The Onion AV Club citation , page= , passage=“Baby, I was a loser / Several years on the dole / An Englishman with a very high voice / Doing rock ’n’ roll,” sings falsetto-happy frontman Justin Hawkins at the start of “Every Inch Of You,” Hot Cakes ’ opener.}}

    Usage notes

    * Said of expedients, efforts, ventures, omens, etc. * (experiencing the effect of favorable fortune) Said of people, hours, thoughts, times, etc.

    Synonyms

    * (favored by luck) lucky, fortunate, prosperous, cheerful, content, delighted, elated, exultant, orgasmic See

    Antonyms

    * sad * unhappy * unpleasant, displeasing, unenjoyable

    Derived terms

    * happify * happily * happiness * happy as a lark * happy as a pig in shit * happy as Larry * happy bunny * happy chappy * happy-clappy * happy families * happy family * happy-go-lucky * happy hour * happy slapping * happy talk * slap-happy * trigger-happy