verbverb

scheuen

shy away · shy

Etwas aus Angst oder Unsicherheit nicht tun oder lieber meiden.

Definition & meaning

The verb scheuen primarily means to shy away from something or to avoid it, often due to fear, effort, or dislike. It is used in several specific contexts:

To avoid or shrink from: This is often used in the context of avoiding effort, costs, or conflict. For example, "keine Mühe scheuen" means to spare no effort.
Reflexive use (sich scheuen): When used reflexively (sich vor etwas scheuen), it means to be hesitant, reluctant, or afraid to do something because of shyness or fear of the consequences.
Animal behavior: In the context of animals, particularly horses, it means to shy or startle. It describes the sudden movement an animal makes when it is frightened by something.

Grammar & Word origin

scheuen is a regular (weak) verb. Its principal parts are:

Präsens: ich scheue, du scheust, er/sie/es scheut
Präteritum: ich scheute
Perfekt: hat gescheut

The word originates from the Old High German sciuhan, which meant to frighten away or to be shy. It is the verbal form related to the adjective scheu, which means shy or timid. In English, it is etymologically related to the word "shy."

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms: To avoid or shun: vermeiden, meiden, ausweichen. To hesitate or shrink back: zurückschrecken, zögern, furchtsam sein[?](vocabuo://word/furchtsam sein). Regarding horses: stutzen, ausschlagen.

Antonyms: To seek or dare: suchen, wagen, riskieren, herantreten, konfrontieren.