AdjectiveIt is distinctly odd to read a whole page dedicated to Hitler's life and character without a reference to his anti-Semitism. To say that Swiss banks contained gold coming from the bank accounts, the jewelry boxes, and the teeth of "concentration camp victims" is a little coy. Ian Buruma, New Republic, 31 Jan. 2000Rival camps are terrified that Bush will reject federal matching funds and the campaign-spending limits they impose, and Bush's aides are coy on the subject. John F. Dickerson, Time, 8 Mar. 1999And there's Julia, the charming "chatterbot" (a text-based computer character), whose coy pickup banter echoes that of real-life Internet flirts. Michiko Kakutani, Albany (New York) Times-Union, 20 Aug. 1997 I didn't like her coy manner. He gave a coy answer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
As for his potential future with Marvel Studios, Kaluuya stayed coy about the possibilities. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 22 Aug. 2022 Casamigos has been very coy about its founders’ views on its prevalence in rap. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 5 Aug. 2022 Imagine a slightly less coy Sally Rooney paired with a highly perceptive alien, with strangely illuminating results. Nathan Deuel, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2022 That last comment, delivered with a coy smirk, has been typical of his response to such questions over the last few years. Adario Strange, Quartz, 24 June 2022 Who wouldn't feel their absolutely best — or even their sexiest or their most playfully coy — while jetting around the city in a citrus green co-ord or a slinky red, curve caressing evening gown? Bianca Betancourt, Harper's BAZAAR, 22 June 2022 Following the wedding, Jonas and Turner remained coy about the event and chose to only share one photo with the public at the time. Alex Gurley, PEOPLE.com, 13 May 2022 Still, the quality of the script and the coy use of the choral score, swooning in for big emotions in intimate settings, such as a night-time walk on the beach, overcome such shortcomings. Robert Daniels, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2022 When asked whether a bidding war ensued when the family left E!, Jenner remains coy. Elizabeth Wagmeister, Variety, 10 Mar. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Verb
Middle English, quiet, shy, from Anglo-French quoi, quei, koi quiet, from Latin quietus