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
Never before has every half-drunk joke, every stumble of language, been so on the record; never before has the moral climate been so skittish — so quick to litigate tone, ignore intent and presume motive.
—
Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Soaring food and energy costs related to world conflicts, post-pandemic labor shortages, and consumers skittish about spending in this turbulent economy have become huge challenges for restaurateurs, Guez says.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Investors have become skittish and are looking for value.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Dolphins fans are so skittish about quarterback decisions by now the common sentiment is to let seventh-rounder Quinn Ewers compete with similar, low-cost names this year, lose a lot of games and draft one next spring.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Soaring food and energy costs related to world conflicts, post-pandemic labor shortages, and consumers skittish about spending in this turbulent economy have become huge challenges for restaurateurs, Guez says.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Investors have become skittish and are looking for value.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 10 Mar. 2026
Dolphins fans are so skittish about quarterback decisions by now the common sentiment is to let seventh-rounder Quinn Ewers compete with similar, low-cost names this year, lose a lot of games and draft one next spring.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skittish
Adjective
-
An unexpected collaboration opportunity is very possible under today’s trine between excitable Mars and erratic Uranus.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
At the Ricardo residence in the ’50s sitcom I Love Lucy, over-the-top housewife Lucy and Ricky, her excitable husband, were always getting into some sort of entertaining hijinks.—
Michael Gioia,
Architectural Digest,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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That bill is a direct response to a Supreme Court that handed the executive branch a dangerous blank check and a Congress too timid to push back.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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Who wants to follow a timid leader, right?—
Aditya Simha,
The Conversation,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Outperformance in the next decade won’t come from lower costs, but instead from the ability to keep operating when markets turn volatile.—
Victor Nian,
Fortune,
10 May 2026
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It’s destined to be remembered as one of the most volatile and surprising political contests modern-day California has ever seen.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
Altman seemed slightly nervous as the cross-examination got underway.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
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Suddenly, and very publicly, Russian officials appeared nervous, afraid that their parade would be spoiled.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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Intercepting Mach 5 hypersonic weapons in space Hypersonic weapons, traveling at speeds of Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound) and above with unpredictable maneuvers, pose significant challenges to traditional missile defenses.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
12 May 2026
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Prices are subject to rapid, unpredictable changes due to factors like, but not limited to, supply/demand, weather, and geopolitical events.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skittish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skittish. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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