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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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skittish
The legendary barrel horse was skittish, scared of just about everything.
—
Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026
The younger versions of Noah and Allie, callow and skittish, are laid out in broad strokes.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
But the skittish-librarian stereotype?
—Margaret Heidenry, Vanity Fair, 24 Dec. 2025
Earlier this year, the Times reported that Gen Z is skittish about opening bar tabs.
—Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Brittany Anas, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026
The younger versions of Noah and Allie, callow and skittish, are laid out in broad strokes.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
But the skittish-librarian stereotype?
—Margaret Heidenry, Vanity Fair, 24 Dec. 2025
Earlier this year, the Times reported that Gen Z is skittish about opening bar tabs.
—Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skittish
Adjective
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Penny is an excitable and expressive teen.—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
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The expressive and excitable young girl stumbles along, while the wary grown-up remains controlled and refined — even though both are completely lost.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Gallego is confident that none of the pejoratives affixed to Democrats—weak, feckless, timid—applies to him.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
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Harry Melling stars as a timid man who is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker (Skarsgård) takes him on as his submissive.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images As stock markets continue to be volatile, investors looking for a stable income stream can bolster their portfolios with the addition of attractive dividend stocks.—
,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2026
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Core inflation, which strips out volatile categories, was also right in line with expectations.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Given the snowy conditions and fatigue levels, these are nervous moments for the athletes, with mere seconds separating winning from losing.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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Hollywood version The team may have been extra nervous given that the previous high-profile adaptation of The House of the Spirits was a 1993 movie in English starring Hollywood actors like Meryl Streep, Glenn Close and Jeremy Irons.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In today's environment, where inflation pressures haven't fully disappeared and energy costs remain unpredictable, different silver miners can react very differently to the same silver price move.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
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Trump remains unpredictable, though, and eager to seek retribution.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skittish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skittish. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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