How to Use skittish in a Sentence

skittish

adjective
Definition of skittishnext
Synonyms for skittishnext
  • We've been skittish about taking on such a large mortgage.
  • Tall rows of corn held the more skittish whitetails, while the mule deer stood out in the open.
    — Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 1 Nov. 2023
  • Of course, this isn’t the first time buyers have been skittish.
    — Curbed, 1 Sep. 2022
  • But across the rest of the Northeast, some buyers are a bit more skittish.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 31 Oct. 2021
  • This sweet story will soothe skittish kids and give them tools to feel calm and safer in the night.
    — Wendy Dunn, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024
  • Keep your dog close to the end of the strip, to avoid out-of-range flushes from skittish birds that were running ahead.
    — Outdoor Life, 18 Oct. 2023
  • This week, the tech and banking sector are growing skittish about the next shoe to drop.
    — David Goldman, CNN, 12 Mar. 2023
  • Most guests seem so glad to get out from the quarantine life, but a few seem skittish.
    — Beth Thames | Bethmthames@gmail.com, al, 7 July 2021
  • That may appeal to cats that are too large or too skittish in a closed design.
    — Condé Nast, WIRED, 9 Jan. 2024
  • Here, the story is based in more skittish black bourgeois art-world elitism.
    — Armond White, National Review, 1 Sep. 2021
  • For those who like to micro-fish for tiny, skittish species in creeks and ponds, the fish list totals have a chance to jump way up there.
    — Jim Gronaw, Baltimore Sun, 18 Sep. 2022
  • Why are bond investors getting skittish about the U.K.?
    — Quentin Webb, WSJ, 7 Oct. 2022
  • His hands flutter, flitting up and down the keyboard like skittish moths.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2022
  • For those of us who are even skittish on a stepladder, concern was there from the start of this portrait of an alpinist as a young man.
    — Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 10 Sep. 2021
  • While shy and skittish at first, Nebelungs are quick to warm up to family members and love playtime.
    — Corinne Sullivan, Woman's Day, 6 Sep. 2022
  • For a more versatile option, opt for a cooling dog pad or mat, like this one that even the most skittish pets will love.
    — Shanon Maglente, Good Housekeeping, 13 May 2022
  • The trio are a match made in heaven, creating a song that has a skittish urgency.
    — Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2023
  • Advertisers have been skittish on X since Musk's takeover more than a year ago.
    — CBS News, 20 Nov. 2023
  • Sponsors were initially skittish so the Hendrick website for new and used cars bought some of the ad space on the No. 5 Chevrolet.
    — Jenna Fryer, Star Tribune, 14 July 2021
  • However, Eve soon learns that her ragtag staffers each have their strengths, most notably the surly and skittish Fred.
    — Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2022
  • This was markedly different from the other wildlife, Bright said, which tended to be skittish and timid.
    — Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 12 June 2024
  • And when the hard work of passing the specifics of a massive $3.5 trillion budget bill, those moderates are going to be even more skittish.
    — Chris Cillizza, CNN, 24 Aug. 2021
  • Investors grew more skittish as the year-end approached, requesting more cash each month.
    — Eric Wallerstein, WSJ, 19 Jan. 2023
  • Iris—silent, hollow-eyed, skittish, and feral—does not behave like a normal girl.
    — Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 23 Oct. 2023
  • They may be used to hurdling over obstacles in front of crowds, but horses are still skittish by nature.
    — Christian Ortega, USA TODAY, 5 Aug. 2021
  • They are often attacked in transit to their low-paying service jobs, and many have grown skittish.
    — Wired, 13 July 2022
  • But there might be reasons for the slowdown other than the waning effects of the pandemic — and that has investors skittish.
    — Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2022
  • The Fringe seeks to address every type of theatergoer, from those itching to be back in person to those who are still skittish.
    — Rohan Preston, Star Tribune, 1 Aug. 2021
  • Wall Street doesn’t appear skittish, despite the Fed’s hawkish signaling, the BoE hike and last week’s losses.
    — Krystal Hur, CNN, 25 June 2023
  • But these coyotes are not skittish around their human neighbors.
    — Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2024

Some of 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.

Last Updated: