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
But these coyotes are not skittish around their human neighbors.
—
Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2024
This was markedly different from the other wildlife, Bright said, which tended to be skittish and timid.
—Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 12 June 2024
One is that human sources will get skittish about divulging information, no matter what their handlers promise in terms of security or reward.
—David V. Gioe, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Simba and Nala had been adopted from a local shelter in New England, and their owner described them as shy and skittish.
—Courtenay Rudzinski, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for skittish 
Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2024
This was markedly different from the other wildlife, Bright said, which tended to be skittish and timid.
—Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 12 June 2024
One is that human sources will get skittish about divulging information, no matter what their handlers promise in terms of security or reward.
—David V. Gioe, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Simba and Nala had been adopted from a local shelter in New England, and their owner described them as shy and skittish.
—Courtenay Rudzinski, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 June 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 2 Jul. 2024.
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