coy
adjective

- acting shy, uncertain, or unwilling to say much, often in order to increase interest in something by keeping back information about it:

Cambridge Dictionary

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Coy is an early 14th century word that stems from the Old French "coi," meaning quiet, still, gentle," and ultimately from the Latin quietus (resting, at rest). The sense of being shy emerged in the late 14th century and the meaning "unwilling to commit" is from the early 1960s.

Originally meaning "quiet and shy," today someone who is coy pretends to be shy in a playful manner, often as a form of flirting. Typically said of a woman, this type of behaviour can come off as very charming and is also referred to as "playing hard to get."

Many people who live in the public spotlight these days tend to be coy with the media in order to avoid public attention or to keep others from obtaining information for instance. A football player might be coy when asked about an injury because he doesn't want opposing teams to know.

When politicians are coy about something, they only provide vague statements on an issue for fear of committing to a position or angering voters. Common to both of these senses is the fact that a person uses coyness to mislead or manipulate his or her audience.

adapted from vocabulary.com

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SYNONYMS

coquettish, evasive, demure, diffident, reserved, shy

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Practice OWAD in a conversation today

say something like:

"DON'T BE COY about past mistakes during a job interview."