as in anxiety
a state of nervousness marked by sudden jerky movements
because of the horse's skittishness and temperamental nature, only experienced riders should ride him
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Recent Examples of skittishness
If Monday’s recovery can shake off the skittishness felt during Friday’s rough market reversal .
—
John Melloy, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Lewis says his skittishness stems from a fear that competitors will copy Darrow’s model, and from sensitivity around ethical rules about sharing attorneys’ fees with non-lawyers.
—Jeff Kauflin, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Others think the frugality signals economic skittishness.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2025
Allen hosting Black celebrities like Diahann Carroll despite network skittishness.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2025
John Melloy, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Lewis says his skittishness stems from a fear that competitors will copy Darrow’s model, and from sensitivity around ethical rules about sharing attorneys’ fees with non-lawyers.
—Jeff Kauflin, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Others think the frugality signals economic skittishness.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 11 Aug. 2025
Allen hosting Black celebrities like Diahann Carroll despite network skittishness.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skittishness
Noun
-
The nation’s third shutdown in 12 years has again raised anxiety levels among service members and their families as those in uniform are working without pay.—
Fortune,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
-
In the book, she's portrayed as someone suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and on anxiety medication, both of which are used to discredit her and paint her as unwell.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Dreaming of worry-free cleaning?—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Washington — Persistent worries about the higher cost of living and few job opportunities pushed consumer sentiment down to its seventh-lowest level in October, on records going back to 1952.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Hints of unease momentarily heightened as the Spartans — deliberate and layered — went to work.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Insurance executives told the FT that the industry lacks the capacity to handle the kind of systemic, large-scale losses AI models could trigger, reflecting the sector’s broader unease about underwriting the unprecedented risks posed by generative AI providers.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Those nerves showed themselves in the first period, as penalty trouble led to two goals from the elite Tampa Bay Lightning power play.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
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The actress was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a central nervous system condition that damages nerves, affecting the electrical signals in the brain, in 2018.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Asthma treatments Some asthma medications open airways by relaxing muscles, but their side effects include jitteriness and restlessness, which are similar to caffeine’s.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The exercise comes amid heightened international tensions and renewed attention to nuclear forces.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Oct. 2025
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Rising tensions around the world, particularly with China, have challenged America’s ability to secure all of those crucial needs.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Carpenter, eye-catching in a glittery fringe dress, couldn’t help but exude a certain edginess onstage at the Opry House, even if the 26-year-old left out some of her favorite swear words.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
8 Oct. 2025
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Borrowing from the flamboyance of the New Romantics, the edginess of punks and the melancholic themes in their music, goth makeup was dark, vampiric, and vaguely dangerous—an aesthetic music fans copied when gathering at goth haunts like the Batcave in London.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skittishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skittishness. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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