1
a
: lively or frisky in action : capricious
b
2
: easily frightened : restive
a skittish horse
skittishly
adverb
skittishness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of skittish in a Sentence
We've been skittish about taking on such a large mortgage.
the skittish colt leapt up when we approached
Recent Examples on the Web
Keeping in mind how skittish Barley was, Deanna patiently made the 20-minute trip to Brimley to see Barley and leave him food.
—
Marina Watts, Peoplemag, 6 Aug. 2024
That, plus falling U.S. Treasury yields, as well as a spike in Wall Street’s fear gauge to its highest level since 2020 , has investors increasingly skittish about markets and the economy.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2024
But a combination of dire polls, skittish fundraisers and Democratic defections ultimately made the president’s position untenable.
—Toluse Olorunnipa, Washington Post, 21 July 2024
Alternating sections of red and white flags blew in a summer breeze, and the players were greeted by fireworks, a fly over from military planes and even a skittish bald eagle who could have done without the noise from the explosions.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 16 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for skittish 
Marina Watts, Peoplemag, 6 Aug. 2024
That, plus falling U.S. Treasury yields, as well as a spike in Wall Street’s fear gauge to its highest level since 2020 , has investors increasingly skittish about markets and the economy.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2024
But a combination of dire polls, skittish fundraisers and Democratic defections ultimately made the president’s position untenable.
—Toluse Olorunnipa, Washington Post, 21 July 2024
Alternating sections of red and white flags blew in a summer breeze, and the players were greeted by fireworks, a fly over from military planes and even a skittish bald eagle who could have done without the noise from the explosions.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 16 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for skittish
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'skittish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near skittish
Cite this Entry
“Skittish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skittish. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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