Definitions for coy
kɔɪcoy

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. coy, demure, overmodestadjective

   affectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way

2. coyadjective

   showing marked and often playful or irritating evasiveness or reluctance to make a definite or committing statement

   "a politician coy about his intentions"

3. coyadjective

   modestly or warily rejecting approaches or overtures

   "like a wild young colt, very inquisitive but very coy and not to be easily cajoled"

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. COYadjective

   Etymology: coi, French, from quietus, Latin.

   1. Modest; decent.

   Jason is as coy as is a maide;
   He loked piteously, but naught he said. Geoffrey Chaucer.

   2. Reserved; not accessible; not easily condescending to familiarity.

   And vain delight she saw he light did pass,
   A foe of folly and immodest toy;
   Still solemn sad, or still disdainful coy. Fairy Queen, b. ii.

   Like Phœbus sung the no less am’rous boy;
   Like Daphne she, as lovely and as coy. Edmund Waller.

   At this season every smile of the sun, like the smile of a coy lady, is as dear as it is uncommon. Alexander Pope.

2. To Coyverb

   Etymology: from the adjective.

   1. To behave with reserve; to reject familiarity.

   What, coying it again!
   No more; but make me happy to my gust,
   That is, without your struggling. John Dryden, King Arthur.

   Retire! I beg you, leave me ————
   ———— Thus to coy it!
   With one who knows you too! Nicholas Rowe, Jane Shore.

   2. To make difficulty; not to condescend willingly.

   If he coy’d
   To hear Cominius speak, I’ll keep at home. William Shakespeare, Coriolan.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. coy

   Coy refers to a behavior characterized by reluctance to share one's thoughts or feelings, often displaying shyness, modesty, or evasiveness. It may also suggest a playful, flirtatious or strategic attempt to avoid giving direct responses or committing to a course of action.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Coyadjective

   quiet; still

2. Coyadjective

   shrinking from approach or familiarity; reserved; bashful; shy; modest; -- usually applied to women, sometimes with an implication of coquetry

3. Coyadjective

   soft; gentle; hesitating

4. Coyverb

   to allure; to entice; to decoy

5. Coyverb

   to caress with the hand; to stroke

6. Coyverb

   to behave with reserve or coyness; to shrink from approach or familiarity

7. Coyverb

   to make difficulty; to be unwilling

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Coy

   Coy is a town in Lonoke County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 116 at the 2000 census, making it the smallest incorporated community within the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area, as well as one of the smallest in the state. The town is served by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in North Little Rock.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Coy

   koy, adj. modest: bashful: shy.—v.t. (Shak.) to caress: (Shak.) to disdain.—adj. Coy′ish, somewhat coy.—adv. Coy′ishly.—n. Coy′ishness.—adv. Coy′ly.—n. Coy′ness. [Fr. coi—L. quietus, quiet.]

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. COY

   What does COY stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the COY acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. COY

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Coy is ranked #2597 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Coy surname appeared 13,875 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 would have the surname Coy.
   
   82.7% or 11,487 total occurrences were White.
   8.2% or 1,141 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
   5.8% or 817 total occurrences were Black.
   1.9% or 272 total occurrences were of two or more races.
   0.5% or 82 total occurrences were Asian.
   0.5% or 76 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.

How to pronounce coy?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say coy in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of coy in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of coy in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of coy in a Sentence

1. President Barack Obama:

   Therefore I am determined to go to Washington and present Israel's position before the members of Congress and the American people. i don't want to be coy -- the prime minister and I have a very real difference around Iran's sanctions.

2. South Carolina:

   When I tell you this race is wide open, I'm not trying to be coy — I'm being deadly serious : there are 100 ways this election could go, and right now you don't see anyone who has put the ground game in place, there's not anyone who has that front-runner status in South Carolina right now.

3. Joe Walsh:

   I'm strongly, strongly considering it. That's -- again, I'm not trying to be cute or coy. I've told you before -- if somebody's going to get in there and go after Joe Walsh... it's got to be done soon.

4. Hillary Clinton:

   The Republican nominee will do the exact opposite, he plays coy with white supremacists. … He demeans women. And he wants to ban an entire religion from entering the country.

5. The Rodeo:

   Cowtown Rodeo and The Harris Family extend our heartfelt and sincere condolences to the Coy Lutz Family for the tragic loss of their son, Coy.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=coy
2. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=coy
3. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
4. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coy
5. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=coy
6. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=coy
7. ^ Surnames Frequency by Census Records
   https://www.census.gov/topics/population/genealogy/data/2010_surnames.html