- easily frightened at the firing of a gun: a gun-shy dog
- frightened, wary, mistrustful, etc., as because of a previous experience
adjective
- An example of gun shy is a dog that hides in the bathtub on 4th of July because of the sound of fireworks.
- An example of gun shy is a woman who carries pepper spray in her hand whenever she walks alone.
The definition of gun shy is a person or animal that is afraid of loud noises or is distrustful.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"gun-shy." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/gun-shy>.
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gun-shy. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/gun-shy
gun-shy
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"gun-shy." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/gun-shy>.
APA Style
gun-shy. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/gun-shy
gun-shy
adjective
- Afraid of loud noise, such as that of gunfire.
- Extremely distrustful or wary.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"gun-shy." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/gun-shy>.
APA Style
gun-shy. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/gun-shy
Adjective
(not comparable)
Adjective
(comparative more gun-shy, superlative most gun-shy)
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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MLA Style
"gun-shy." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/gun-shy>.
APA Style
gun-shy. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/gun-shy
Sentence Examples
- This is a great place to think about your personality and this is especially true if you happen to be a bit gun-shy of wearing bright colors to begin with.
- For example, if red is the new black of the season, but you feel a bit gun-shy about wearing such a bright color, then simply buy a pair of red shoes.
- This suit is a particularly great choice for anyone who feels a bit gun-shy about color.
- However, if you are feeling a bit gun-shy, consider your options.