coyness

coy | American Dictionary

coy
adjective[ -er/-est only ]
us/kɔɪ/
acting shy, uncertain, or unwilling to say much, often in order to increase interest in something by keeping back information about it:
McIntyre is coy about his future in football.

coyly

adverb[ not gradable ]us/ˈkɔɪ·li/
She smiled coyly.

Examples of coy

coy
But there is nothing coy or insipid in these heroines' resistance to violation.
Roberts is not remotely coy about this, regularly admitting to speculation, even 'wild speculation'.
His coded language calling for the transition to a ' productive economy ' instead of a liberal market economy is unnecessarily coy.
Her methodological precepts hold that language plainly says what it means, that it does not engage in coy games of concealment.
The insecure-ambivalent child emphasizes his dependence on the parent through immature, help-seeking, or coy behaviors, often accompanied by mild anger or resistance.
The coercive strategy represents an effort to control caregiver behavior through angry, threatening, or coy (feigned immaturity or fearfulness) behavior.
I noted, for example, only one coy 'food for thought'.
Typical coercive behaviors include threats, consisting of expressed anger requiring action on the part of the caregiver, and bribes, in the form of coy, disarming behaviors that elicit protection.
Generally the tone of the book is calm and sensible, and only occasionally tips over into coy periphrasis, as when difficult spellings are labelled 'awkward customers'.
With the exception of the painfully coy and unconvincing references in the sea shanty episode, none of the characters is ever placed in relation to women.
That is a coy euphemism for foisting compulsory trade recognition on unwilling employers and a possible unwilling majority of the workforce.
From the
Hansard archive