1
as in excitable
easily excited by nature
the skittish colt leapt up when we approached
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in timid
easily frightened
the cat is skittish around people she doesn't know
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3
as in volatile
likely to change frequently, suddenly, or unexpectedly
a skittish housing market had both buyers and sellers on edge
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skittish
But, as institutions grew skittish, the duo pivoted, tapping a pool of high-net-worth women.
—
Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
As a result, consumers have grown skittish about the economy’s future, wary of higher inflation and rising unemployment.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
The program doesn’t phase out until 2030, but investors are already skittish, said Clayton Munnings, a climate economist who leads the climate advocacy group Clean and Prosperous California.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The bond markets have been skittish for a while, serving as both a check on White House fiscal policies and a warning signal that America’s economic strengths are being put to the test.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
As a result, consumers have grown skittish about the economy’s future, wary of higher inflation and rising unemployment.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
The program doesn’t phase out until 2030, but investors are already skittish, said Clayton Munnings, a climate economist who leads the climate advocacy group Clean and Prosperous California.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 10 Sep. 2025
The bond markets have been skittish for a while, serving as both a check on White House fiscal policies and a warning signal that America’s economic strengths are being put to the test.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skittish
Adjective
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Don Phillips, the casting director, was an excitable character who put his whole heart into finding new faces.—
Cameron Crowe,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
-
The text is excitable and wayward, while many of the photographs are dramatically dull.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Babies also have new behaviors, from a playful and inquisitive Diplodocus to a more timid Moros Intrepidus.—
Griff Griffin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
-
In the bit, Rihanna and Ronnie (Andy Samberg) are dropping knowledge to a group of grade schoolers with the singer crooning in her power range as timid Ronnie can barely rise above a whisper to her utter consternation.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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With a roster that includes Margot Robbie, Miles Teller and Brooke Shields, Ullman says tariff anxiety shoehorned into an already volatile market and tense political climate has pushed clients to be far more conservative.—
Trey Williams,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
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Gold has seen historic gains in 2025, its more-than-50% surge surpassing previous volatile periods such as after the September 11 attacks, the 2008 financial crisis or even the Covid-19 pandemic.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Although Buffalo has allowed just 47 points in its last two games (both losses), the Chiefs offense has people nervous.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
23 Oct. 2025
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Not only are recent graduates nervous that their jobs could be replaced by AI, the application process is also becoming disrupted by the tools.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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These are not the words of a Premier League cheerleader, or indeed of someone fearful that English football will be left behind if La Liga and Serie A get their way.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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This hesitancy is common, Travers said, because people may be fearful of being judged or of having their trauma follow them later in life.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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His characters were often brutally unpredictable.—
Joy Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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New York can be very unpredictable and has been this season.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skittish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skittish. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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