Comparative form of coy; more shy, modest, or playfully reluctant.
From 'coy' (from Old French 'coi' meaning quiet) + '-er' (comparative suffix). This is a standard comparative formation in English.
The progression 'coy → coyer → coyest' shows how English handles comparatives—single-syllable adjectives just add '-er,' which makes them easy to say quickly, while longer adjectives need 'more,' which is why we say 'more obvious' not 'obviuser' and we say 'coyer' not 'more coy.'
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