having less of something than is needed or expected.
The bill was four votes shy of a majority.He was a large man, just shy of six feet tall.
Related vocabulary: short of something
(redirected from shy of)
shy of (something)
Slightly less than some amount. Our current rent is just shy of $1,500. If it goes any higher, I don't know how we'll be able to afford it.We're just two people shy of a full team. Are any of your friends interested?