Timidity
/tɪˈmɪd.ɪ.ti/noun
The quality of being shy, hesitant, or easily frightened.
Did you know?Timidity descends from Latin timidus, meaning “fearful,” from timere, “to fear,” the same old root behind a whole family of words built around dread and caution.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tem-
“to tremble, fear”
Latin
Latin
timēre
“to fear”
Latin
Latin
timidus
“fearful, timid”
Late Latin
Latin
timiditās
“fearfulness, timidity”
Middle English
English
timidite
“timidity, shyness”
Modern English
English
timidity
“the quality of being shy or easily frightened”