skittish

adjective

skit·​tish ˈski-tish 

1

a

: lively or frisky in action : capricious

b

: variable, fluctuating

2

: easily frightened : restive

a skittish horse

3

a

: coy, bashful

b

: marked by extreme caution : wary

skittish investors

skittishly adverb

skittishness noun

Synonyms

• excitable
• fiddle-footed
• flighty
• fluttery
• high-strung
• hyper
• hyperactive
• hyperexcitable
• hyperkinetic
• jittery
• jumpy
• nervous
• skittery
• spasmodic
• spooky

Examples of skittish in a Sentence

We've been skittish about taking on such a large mortgage.

the skittish colt leapt up when we approached

Recent Examples on the Web

But skittish investors are now concerned about the outlook for a bellwether banking stock, along with broader concerns about slowing U.S. economic growth. —Hugh Son, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2024

Wall Street’s fear gauge, the VIX, rose, and the broader market also tumbled: The Nasdaq Composite ended the day with a loss of 3.3% as tech investors became skittish over AI darling Nvidia’s 9% plunge. —Lucy Bayly, CNN, 3 Sep. 2024

The two tried to get out as quickly as possible, but their skittish cat, CatMandu, was zooming around their Paradise home. —Evan Bush, NBC News, 11 Aug. 2024

Yet the proposition that the United States should risk getting enmeshed in a war on Russia’s doorstep to soothe its skittish NATO states makes no sense. —Rajan Menon, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from skit- (probably from Old Norse skyt-) + -ish

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

skittish

adjective

skit·​tish ˈskit-ish 

1

: lively or frisky in action

2

: easily frightened : restive

a skittish horse

3

: bashful

skittishly adverb

skittishness noun