Skittish
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈskɪtɪʃ/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Skittish is an adjective meaning Easily scared or startled; timid.
Meaning
Easily scared or startled; timid.
More Meanings
- Wanton; changeable; fickle.
- Difficult to manage; tricky.
Example Sentences
The dog likes people he knows, but he is skittish around strangers.
How some men creep in skittish fortune’s hall, Whiles others play the idiots in her eyes!
For everybody’s family doctor was remarkably clever, and was understood to have immeasurable skill in the management and training of the most skittish or vicious diseases.
[…] ’Tis pitiful To court a grin, when you should wooe a soul; To break a jest, when pity would inspire Pathetic exhortation; and t’ address The skittish fancy with facetious tales, When sent with God’s commission to the heart.
Synonyms for skittish
Depending on context, synonyms include spookish, jumpy, squirrelly, nervous, spooky, excitable.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include spooky, excitable, nervous, shy, jumpy, fierce.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.