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Prepositions after adjectives

Shy of vs shy about

Shy about is common for topics or behaviour. Shy of has a different meaning: slightly less than a number or amount.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct with shy?

Use shy about when someone feels nervous or embarrassed about something. Use shy of mainly with numbers and amounts to mean slightly less than.

He's shy about speaking in meetings.
Sales were shy of one million dollars.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
shy about + topic

Feeling embarrassed or nervous

This pattern describes reluctance to discuss or do something.

She is shy about her accent.
2
shy of + amount

Slightly less than a number

Shy of means just below a total.

The crowd was shy of 5,000 people.
3
too shy to + verb

Avoiding an action

Use an infinitive after shy to describe hesitation.

He was too shy to ask questions.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
shy about
Mina is shy about singing in public.
Nervous or embarrassed about something.
shy of
The company finished shy of its target.
Slightly below an amount or goal.
shy with
The child is shy with strangers.
With can introduce the people someone feels shy around.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using shy of for embarrassment

Shy of usually refers to numbers or amounts, not emotions.

✕ He is shy of public speaking. ✓ He is shy about public speaking.

Using shy about for quantities

Use shy of with numbers.

✕ The total was shy about 200 euros. ✓ The total was shy of 200 euros.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She is shy ___ discussing money.
2. The score was just shy ___ 90 points.
3. He was too shy ___ introduce himself.

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Frequently asked questions

Does shy of mean embarrassed?

Usually no. It commonly means slightly less than an amount.

Can I say shy around someone?

Yes. Around and with can both introduce the people someone feels shy around.

Is shy about formal or informal?

It works in both formal and informal English.

sacred-to-in-by-of, for "sad for" or "sad about"? "safe for", "safe from" or "safe in"? sanguine about, in, of, on or for? "satisfactory to" or "satisfactory for"? satisfied with, of, by, in or on? "satisfying for" or "satisfying to"? scarce in, for, at, on or of? scared of, to, about, for or by? "scary for" or "scary to"? "scathing about", "scathing in" or "scathing of"? "sceptical about" or "sceptical of"?

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