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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skittish
Ana Osorno, Them., 25 Apr. 2025
Banks that were expecting a resurgence in IPOs and deals are instead contending with skittish capital markets.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge,annika Kim Constantino,leslie Josephs,ari Levy,amelia Lucas,melissa Repko,hugh Son,michael Wayland, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2025
Sand, the more skittish of the pair, absconded to Canada.
—John Semley, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2025
During his recent travels, Beehler encountered skittish whimbrels in Churchill and deliberately foraging whimbrels in Alaska.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Adjective
But persistent homophobia and an anti-LGBTQ+ political climate have still made too many companies, Disney included, skittish about capitalizing on that trend.
—Ana Osorno, Them., 25 Apr. 2025
Banks that were expecting a resurgence in IPOs and deals are instead contending with skittish capital markets.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge,annika Kim Constantino,leslie Josephs,ari Levy,amelia Lucas,melissa Repko,hugh Son,michael Wayland, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2025
Sand, the more skittish of the pair, absconded to Canada.
—John Semley, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2025
During his recent travels, Beehler encountered skittish whimbrels in Churchill and deliberately foraging whimbrels in Alaska.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skittish
Adjective
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The telling of the entire story of America, after all, calls into question the greatness that Donald Trump pledges to restore, and agitates a base that remains threatened and excitable by our multicultural reality.—
Kevin Sack,
Time,
3 June 2025
-
Anyone familiar with the world of the Grateful Dead knows that one of the band’s most devoted and excitable fans was the late Bill Walton, the illustrious Hall of Fame NBA center who died in May 2024 at 71.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
At the time, David was a bit timid around dogs and initially kept his distance.—
Jordan Greene,
People.com,
3 June 2025
-
In the film, Colin, a timid man is swept off his feet when Ray, an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker takes him on as his submissive.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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But make no mistake: the situation remains extremely volatile.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
-
His aunt and two cousins traded stories about how volatile Williams was to even his own mother and the mother of his child.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2025
Noun
-
Survey respondents’ anxiety over unemployment also declined, but a separate measure of employment trends from the Conference Board dipped slightly, reflecting lingering economic uncertainty.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
10 June 2025
-
When an industry accelerates this fast, anxiety is sure to follow and a growing number of CEOs aren’t asking whether to build with AI.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
After a decade of mayhem, property destruction, and nervous soldiers firing into a crowd, the rebellion broke into gunfire between British regulars and American militia at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.—
Dan McLaughlin,
National Review,
17 June 2025
-
Any time there is a change at that level, people get nervous.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Adjective
-
The law was blocked by a judge, but Martinez said some workers and companies are still hesitant and fearful of enforcement.—
Carolyn Komatsoulis,
Idaho Statesman,
18 June 2025
-
Fed officials have been reluctant to move, fearful that tariffs Trump implemented this year could cause inflation in the coming months.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Each response is a surprise, tapping into the psychological principle of intermittent reinforcement, famously demonstrated by psychologist B.F. Skinner, where unpredictable rewards significantly amplify behaviors, much like gambling addiction.—
Curt Steinhorst,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
-
The Big Apple is full of complex, unpredictable scenarios for the Waymo Driver software to handle: Jaywalking pedestrians, trucks parked in the street, complex intersections, heavy rains, and harsh winter weather, to name a few.—
Emily Forlini,
PC Magazine,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
Those worries vanished when she was accepted to Yale University.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
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Fear of falling behind That worry of falling behind is something many men are wrestling with, according to a recent report by the Speaking with American Men (SAM) project, a new effort aimed at helping Democrats better reach and connect with young men.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skittish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skittish. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
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