Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Quietly.
  • In a coy manner; shyly; demurely.
  • noun See coigne.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb In a coy manner; with reserve.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb in a coy manner

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb in a coy manner

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word coyly.

Examples

  • Now, if I wanted, I could buy a tankini, or a magical patented Slimsuit in an exotic tiger print designed to whittle inches off my waist and keep spectators’ eyes from resting too long on what the tag coyly called my “trouble zones.”

    Best Friends Forever Jennifer Weiner 2009

  • Now, if I wanted, I could buy a tankini, or a magical patented Slimsuit in an exotic tiger print designed to whittle inches off my waist and keep spectators’ eyes from resting too long on what the tag coyly called my “trouble zones.”

    Best Friends Forever Jennifer Weiner 2009

  • Now, if I wanted, I could buy a tankini, or a magical patented Slimsuit in an exotic tiger print designed to whittle inches off my waist and keep spectators’ eyes from resting too long on what the tag coyly called my “trouble zones.”

    Best Friends Forever Jennifer Weiner 2009

  • This is why John McCain coyly smiles each time Obama makes this statement.

    Archive 2008-10-01 Alice Walker Blog Administrator 2008

  • This is why John McCain coyly smiles each time Obama makes this statement.

    May Whatever We Have Gained, Not Be Lost Alice Walker Blog Administrator 2008

  • The second purpose is the transfer of wealth from the countries of the West to Third World countries, in satisfaction of what is called coyly a 'climate debt.'

    Moonbattery The MaryHunter 2010

  • The second purpose is the transfer of wealth from the countries of the West to Third World countries, in satisfaction of what is called coyly a 'climate debt.'

    Moonbattery 2010

  • She is walking down a Prague street, a shopping basket over her arm, to the market to buy carrots, leeks, mackerel, and passes by chance a shoe shop, and there are the red shoes in the window -- all by themselves on a little plinth raised above the lesser footwear, the price tag coyly peeking out from the base -- and she has such a powerful urge to go in and try them on that that is what she does.

    Tom Gregory: From Alzheimer's to Auschwitz at 32,000 Feet 2010

  • She is walking down a Prague street, a shopping basket over her arm, to the market to buy carrots, leeks, mackerel, and passes by chance a shoe shop, and there are the red shoes in the window -- all by themselves on a little plinth raised above the lesser footwear, the price tag coyly peeking out from the base -- and she has such a powerful urge to go in and try them on that that is what she does.

    From Alzheimer's to Auschwitz at 32,000 Feet 2010

  • a shopping basket over her arm, to the market to buy carrots, leeks, mackerel, and passes by chance a shoe shop, and there are the red shoes in the window -- all by themselves on a little plinth raised above the lesser footwear, the price tag coyly peeking out from the base -- and she has such a powerful urge to go in and try them on that that is what she does.

    The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com Tom Gregory 2010

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • in a shy yet flirtatious way

    January 27, 2012