shy away from — avoid (something) because of fear, discomfort, or reluctance
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutralcommon
to deliberately avoid doing something because you feel nervous, unsure, or unwilling, especially when it is difficult or unpleasant
Say it like a native
Textbook She tends to avoid confrontation due to her discomfort.
Native She shies away from confrontation.
'Shy away from' packs the reluctance and discomfort into the phrase; the paraphrase is wordy.
Pattern: shy away from + noun/gerund
In use
- Many people shy away from discussing money matters with their friends.daily life
- Some students shy away from asking questions in class because they’re afraid of making mistakes, but participating actively is key to learning.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He shies away confrontation.
✓ He shies away from confrontation.
Always 'shy away FROM' something — don't drop 'from'.
Common collocations
shy away from + difficulty— confrontation, responsibility, the truth, hard questions
Don't confuse it
Unlike 'avoid', which is more general, 'shy away from' highlights reluctance or nervousness as the reason for not doing something. It does not mean to refuse directly or to physically move away.