1
as in excitable
easily excited by nature
the skittish colt leapt up when we approached
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in timid
easily frightened
the cat is skittish around people she doesn't know
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
a skittish housing market had both buyers and sellers on edge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of skittish
On April 25, 2025, the dog was allegedly scared, skittish couldn’t walk.
—
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2026
Eddie is also very skittish with my adult daughter, who is wonderful with dogs.
—Cathy M. Rosenthal, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Feb. 2026
When a whitefish would circle our jigs, a loud crack would scare the skittish fish away.
—Robert Annis, Outside, 24 Feb. 2026
But after years of contraction, shrinking pre-sales and skittish buyers, there was a sense at EFM, a cautious, qualified sense, that the worst may be over.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2026
Eddie is also very skittish with my adult daughter, who is wonderful with dogs.
—Cathy M. Rosenthal, San Antonio Express-News, 26 Feb. 2026
When a whitefish would circle our jigs, a loud crack would scare the skittish fish away.
—Robert Annis, Outside, 24 Feb. 2026
But after years of contraction, shrinking pre-sales and skittish buyers, there was a sense at EFM, a cautious, qualified sense, that the worst may be over.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skittish
Adjective
-
Lego Galaxy hopes to draw visitors — and perhaps new audiences — by focusing on slicker, more modern technology and injecting in the park the sort of excitable ride more commonly found at Legoland’s Southern California competitors.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
But where Dad is excitable, McGonigle is more reserved.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His hope is to create a new incentive for these timid business leaders, by wiping out a quarter billion or more from their combined market cap.—
Kristin Stoller,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
-
At the heart of the series is Deano’s friendship with Kit, his timid best mate from the wealthy side of town.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Asian shares slide in a volatile session.—
Nasteho Said,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The dismal report comes at a volatile time for the economy, as the war in Iran risks reigniting inflation.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The across-the-board beat may help settle a nervous investor base, at least for the time being, as Oracle’s results and backlog point to a continuing surge in demand for AI infrastructure.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Projections by Paramount’s management team that at least $6 billion in cost savings will result from the merger have made all of Hollywood nervous, but especially the workforce at WBD.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Strengthening the layers Epoch 2 solves the problem of unpredictable missile paths by using high-tech heat sensors and laser communication.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Revenue hinges on capital gains from investments, bonuses to executives and windfalls from new stock offerings, all of which are grossly unpredictable.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skittish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skittish. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
