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Timid describes someone who is easily and has very little confidence — the child who will not put a hand up in class, the person who stands at the edge of a party. It is a quiet, inward kind of fear: not screaming-scared, but shrinking-back-scared.
timid 形容 someone一個人 easily很容易 frightened被嚇到，has very little confidence幾乎沒有自信——the child那個小孩 will not put a hand up不會舉手 in class在課堂上，the person那個人 stands站在 at the edge of a party派對邊邊。It is是 a kind of一種 quiet安靜的、inward往內縮的 fear害怕：not不是 screaming-scared大叫的那種怕，but而是 shrinking-back-scared往後縮的那種怕。
You can use it about a person's whole character ('a timid boy'), and also about one action ('a timid knock at the door', 'a timid smile'), which means the action was small, soft, and unsure.
You can use it可以用它講 a person's whole character一個人整體的個性（'a timid boy'），and also about也可以講 one action單一個動作（'a timid knock at the door'、'a timid smile'），which means意思是那個動作 small小小的、soft輕輕的、and unsure沒把握。
There is a second, very common use in business and news writing: a timid plan, a timid response, a timid government. Here it means too careful, not brave enough to do what the situation needs — and it is a criticism. Reporters like it because it is a polite-sounding way to call someone a coward.
in business and news writing在商業和新聞的寫作裡 There is有 a second第二個、very common很常見的 use用法：a timid plan、a timid response、a timid government。Here這裡 it means意思是 too careful太小心、not brave enough不夠勇敢 to do what the situation needs去做情況需要的事——and it is而且這是 a criticism在批評。Reporters記者 like it喜歡用，because因為 it is a polite-sounding way是一種聽起來客氣的說法 to call someone a coward用來說某人是膽小鬼。
About people, timid is gentler than 'cowardly', which is an insult, but it is not a compliment either; it suggests the person is being held back by fear.
About people用在人身上，timid than比 'cowardly' is gentler更溫和，which is an insult那是罵人的話，but但 it is not a compliment either也不是稱讚；it suggests它暗示 the person這個人 is being held back by fear被害怕拖住了。
If you want to say the same idea kindly, English speakers usually reach for 'shy' instead. Shy is about people and social situations, and it is neutral — many people call themselves shy. Almost nobody calls themselves timid.
If you want如果你想 to say the same idea講同一件事 kindly客氣地，English speakers英文的人 usually reach for通常會改用 'shy'。Shy is about講的是 people and social situations人和社交場合，and it is neutral而且是中性的——many people很多人 cheerfully很開心地 call themselves shy說自己 shy。Almost nobody幾乎沒有人 calls themselves timid說自己 timid。
The other close word is 'nervous', but nervous is a feeling right now ('I'm nervous about the test'), while timid is more often what someone is like in general.
The other close word另一個很接近的字 is 'nervous'，but但 nervous is a feeling right now是此刻的感覺（'I'm nervous about the test'），while而 timid is more often比較常是 what someone is like in general一個人整體上是什麼樣子。
組成From Latin timidus 'full of fear', from the verb timeō 'to fear', which came into English through Middle French timide. The Latin ending -idus makes an adjective meaning 'in that state' — the same ending you see in rapid, humid, and vivid.
同家族的字
- timiditythe noun — the quality of being timid
- timidlythe adverb — doing something in a timid way
- timorousfrom the same Latin fear-word timor; a more literary way to say the same thing
- intimidatesame timid- root — to make someone else feel afraid
原始詞典資料1 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
timidadj/ˈtɪmɪd/
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Lacking in courage or confidence.
- John's a very timid person. I doubt he'll be brave enough to face his brother.
- When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him.[…]. The captive made no resistance and came not only quietly but in a series of eager little rushes like a timid dog on a choke chain.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。