gun-shy
1. Frightened of using a gun or by the sound of one firing. My other three sons all really love to hunt, but Tommy's a little bit gun-shy. You hate loud noises, so I suspect you'd be pretty gun-shy if I ever took you to the range with me. My brother shoved the gun into my hand, but I was terrified and too gun-shy to fire at the robbers.
2. Hesitant or wary of something or some action, especially after having previously suffered a negative experience of such. I've been rather gun-shy about driving ever since I got into that car accident last year. Yeah, I'm feeling gun-shy—any time I hit on a woman lately, I get rejected! A: "Since when are you gun-shy about speaking your mind?" B: "Since I got ridiculed at last week's staff meeting."
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