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

The Sterns would leave out food for him, but the weather was getting colder, and Bud was too skittish to make use of the insulated cat houses that the couple had set up. —Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024

But Andy’s transformation into Invincible Fight Girl takes time, something many networks seem increasingly skittish about giving newer projects. —Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 2 Nov. 2024

Heavy hunting during Congo’s civil war in the late ’90s has made the elephants skittish of humans, and rehabituation takes time—as a result, such close encounters as these still aren’t without risk. —Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2024

Inflation is finally curbed, although still a source of worry for some skittish voters. —Philip Elliott / Detroit, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024

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