Similar words
zögerlich
zaghaft is more about timidity or hesitancy from fear; zögerlich is more about simple hesitation, a reluctance to act.
Similar in other languages
English
shy
Close — timid, hesitant relates to shy.
French
craintif
craintif is the French word for the same thing — both mean "timid, fearful."
Practice
1 What does zaghaft mean?
timid, hesitant
2 Fill the gap: Er klopfte ___ an.
Full sentence: Er klopfte zaghaft an. (He knocked hesitantly.)
3 Which fingerprint chart matches zaghaft?
zaghaft: neutral register, academic frequency, general domain, neutral connotation.