skittish

[ skit-ish ]
/ ˈskɪt ɪʃ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR skittish ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

apt to start or shy: a skittish horse.
restlessly or excessively lively: a skittish mood.
fickle; uncertain.
shy; coy.

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Origin of skittish

1375–1425; late Middle English, perhaps derivative of the Scand source of skite1; see -ish1

OTHER WORDS FROM skittish

skit·tish·ly, adverbskit·tish·ness, noun

Words nearby skittish

skit, skitch, skite, skitter, skittery, skittish, skittle, skittle out, skive, skiver, skivvy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to skittish

jumpy, giddy, fearful, edgy, fickle, restive, excited, capricious, changeable, combustible, dizzy, excitable, fidgety, flighty, frivolous, harebrained, high-strung, irresponsible, lightheaded, lively

Example sentences from the Web for skittish

British Dictionary definitions for skittish

skittish
/ (ˈskɪtɪʃ) /

adjective

playful, lively, or frivolous
difficult to handle or predict
rare coy

Derived forms of skittish

skittishly, adverbskittishness, noun

Word Origin for skittish

C15: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse skjōta to shoot; see -ish
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012