🇬🇧🇨🇳 coy - 腼腆的 : English Lesson

Meaning of "coy" ("腼腆的"), detailed definition, and a short video lesson below.

If someone is coy, they pretend to be shy or innocent, but they’re actually doing it on purpose—often to get attention, to keep a little secret, or to make others curious about what they really think or feel.

Watch and listen to this English flashcard to understand the word in more detail, with an easy example sentence.

When I asked Dad if we could have ice cream for dinner, he gave a coy, “We’ll see,” which every kid knows means “Probably not, but I like watching you hope.”

At picture day, I tried to look cool, but the camera caught my coy half-smile that said, “I know I look ridiculous.”

My friend was coy about their new haircut, hiding under a hoodie until we promised not to scream in surprise.

A coy smile is famous in paintings like the Mona Lisa—she looks so calmly secretive that people have spent over 500 years arguing about what she’s hiding.

The dog gave a coy tail wag when we said “Who chewed my shoe?” and then slowly walked away like it had a meeting.

At the bus stop, Lena gave a coy smile, then a coy glance toward the man with the book. She tucked hair behind her ear in a coy way and dropped a coin near his bag. He looked up, puzzled; she stood coy, waiting. He laughed, picked up the coin, and offered her his seat with a coy grin.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.