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skittish

[ skit-ish ]
/ ˈskÉȘt ÉȘʃ /
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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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use skittish in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for skittish

skittish
/ (ˈskÉȘtÉȘʃ) /

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 skjƍta 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
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