skittish
Americanadjective
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apt to start or shy.
a skittish horse.
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restlessly or excessively lively.
a skittish mood.
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fickle; uncertain.
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shy; coy.
adjective
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playful, lively, or frivolous
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difficult to handle or predict
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rare coy
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of skittish
1375–1425; late Middle English, perhaps derivative of the Scand source of skite 1; see -ish 1
Explanation
If you're skittish, you're unpredictable and excitable. You've probably seen skittish horses in parades — the loud noises and crowds of people make them very nervous and jumpy. The adjective skittish isn't just for animals — humans can be skittish too. If you're sleeping in a haunted house, for example, you're likely to be skittish, jumping at every moving shadow. Skittish can also mean flighty in thought — like your boss who's skittish about giving you a raise and avoids discussing it. The word is thought to have come from the Scandinavian word skyt, meaning "very lively, frivolous."
Vocabulary lists containing skittish
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The coalition would be even stronger if skittish Egypt lent its manpower to the fight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent promised skittish bond investors earlier this month that the White House would roll out a new plan for tackling the federal government’s persistent deficit within days.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
"This year, they were all really skittish... hiding under rocks. Because there's so few cuttlefish hanging out at the moment, they don't have strength in numbers."
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Investors are still skittish enough that they only want to buy proven winners, so backing the favorite is a smart strategy right now.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
“Here, just take everything out and you can make your books fit,” Conner said in a voice like I was a skittish stray.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
