Coy

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /kɔɪ/

Definitions

1. Shy or modest, especially in a playful or teasing manner intended to be alluring
2. Displaying a reserved or bashful attitude often meant to attract attention subtly
3. Behaving in a way that shows gentle reticence or reserved charm to invite interest

Etymology: The English "coy" comes from Old French "coi," meaning "quiet" or "still," which in turn descends from Latin "quietus," the source of "quiet." The word's shift from calm to flirtatious is the heart of the story: a person who kept still and held back was, in the medieval imagination, a person who was reserved, and reserve could easily be performed. Over the centuries the sense narrowed from general stillness to a pointed, playful reticence that hints at interest rather than hiding it. The word also has a near-twin in English that shows the same root under a different path. "Quiet" came in directly from Latin, while "coy" came through French, so the two are doublets: the same ancestor reached English twice by two routes. The French form "coi" stayed in use as a word for calm and still long after English borrowed it.

Synonyms: shy, modest

Antonyms: outgoing, bold