Timid
/ˈtɪm.ɪd/noun
Lacking courage or confidence; shy and easily frightened.
Did you know?Timid comes from Latin *timidus*, from *timēre* meaning “to fear,” and it shares a deep root with words like *timorous* and even the emotion-packed idea behind *timing* in some older Indo-European branches of “fear and trembling” language.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tem-
“to fear, tremble”
Latin
Latin
timēre
“to fear”
Latin
Latin
timidus
“fearful, timid”
Old French
Old French
timide
“timid, fearful”
Middle English
English
timid
“shy, fearful”
Modern English
English
timid
“lacking courage or confidence”