gun-shy
adjective/ˈɡʌn ʃaɪ/
/ˈɡʌn ʃaɪ/
- gun-shy (about something/about doing something) (especially North American English) very careful or anxious about doing something, because of a previous bad experience
- Since last summer, Horace has been gun-shy about swimming in the lake.
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- (especially of a dog) nervous and scared at the sound of a gunshot
Check pronunciation:
gun-shy