1
as in excitable
easily excited by nature
the skittish colt leapt up when we approached
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in timid
easily frightened
the cat is skittish around people she doesn't know
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of skittish
Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
Cats in particular, with their solitary and skittish ways, can also teach them patience.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Investors are skittish, and animation, with its long timelines and high upfront costs, needs predictable ground to thrive.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 10 May 2025
Plus, if skittish tourists book fewer rooms in the existing Hampton Inn and Marriott hotels, the city could lose out on tax revenue, McMillin said in a statement.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Adjective
During his recent travels, Beehler encountered skittish whimbrels in Churchill and deliberately foraging whimbrels in Alaska.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
Cats in particular, with their solitary and skittish ways, can also teach them patience.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Investors are skittish, and animation, with its long timelines and high upfront costs, needs predictable ground to thrive.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 10 May 2025
Plus, if skittish tourists book fewer rooms in the existing Hampton Inn and Marriott hotels, the city could lose out on tax revenue, McMillin said in a statement.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skittish
Adjective
-
Groups of excitable teenage boys waited their turn to play EA FC on a bank of massive flat screen TVs.—
James Montague,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
-
Wisner was an excitable workaholic, like a squirrel pointlessly leaping in all directions.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
Twilight was quite timid initially and hid under the bed for the first few days.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2025
-
The Makos athletes also noticed that their parents were timid around water.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 May 2025
Adjective
-
Other big miners, including archrivals BHP, Anglo American and Glencore, have steered clear of lithium, am important metal in batteries, but one which is also abundantly available puts suffers from extremely volatile pricing.—
Tim Treadgold,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
-
The couple had a volatile relationship that often turned violent, according to authorities.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
Trousdale’s songs adroitly address female empowerment, loss, heartbreak, anxiety, mental health and other subjects while striking a winning balance between melancholia and buoyancy.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2025
-
More than 6 million have a parent with both a substance use disorder and significant symptoms of depression, anxiety or both.—
Ty Schepis,
The Conversation,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
The price of gold tends to move when markets get nervous – and so does the gold.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
-
That said, one moment in the final episode did make Brashear nervous.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
In Bolland’s judgment, Duffy was fearful of unlocking the past and thus naming and confronting his acts.—
Sarah Beckwith,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
-
That ambiguity has left Venezuelan immigrants with TPS not only fearful but also confused.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
Trump’s aggressive and unpredictable policies — including massive import taxes — have clouded the outlook for the economy as well as the job market and raised fears that the American economy is headed toward recession.—
Matt Ott,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
-
Smaller airlines are reportedly being hurt worst by unpredictable travel times.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
The letter is a sign of growing ties between religious and AI safety groups, which share some of the same worries.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
21 May 2025
-
Treasury yields and the value of the U.S. dollar held relatively stable after a brief jolt Monday morning when Moody’s Ratings said the U.S. government no longer deserves a top-tier credit rating because of worries about its spiraling debt.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skittish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skittish. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share