coyish

coy·ish
C3O1Y4I1S1H4
US, UK/ˈkɔɪ.ɪʃ/

adjective

Somewhat coy.

Scrabble 14
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Meanings

adjectivecoyish (comparative more coyish, superlative most coyish)

comparative more coyish · superlative most coyish

  1. Somewhat coy.

    He tooke her in his armes, as yet ſo coyiſh to be kiſt / As Mayds that knovv themſelues belou'd and yeeldingly reſiſt.

    1602, William Warner, “The Eight Booke. Chapter XLII.”, in Albions England. A Continued Historie of the Same Kingdome, from the Originals of the First Inhabitants thereof: […], 5th edition, London: […] Edm[und] Bollifant for George Potter, […], →OCLC, page 202

Origin

From coy + -ish.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

coyish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coyish

MLA

“coyish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coyish. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “coyish,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coyish.

Source: coyish on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.