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 of skittish

• excitable
• nervous

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

Despite a somewhat skittish run during the government shutdown and the days since the impasse was settled, the S & P 500 has soared 14% in 2025. —Jeff Cox, CNBC, 17 Nov. 2025

Boxes can also provide a skittish cat with a safe place to hide when their environment changes. —Rj MacKenzie, Popular Science, 12 Nov. 2025

Californians aren’t rushing to buy either homes or new vehicles – a sign of skittish consumers in a wobbly economy. —Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025

But with spending continuing to rise, investors are getting skittish about the outlays without more concrete signs of the payoffs. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2025

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

Rhymes for skittish

• british

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