1
as in excitable
easily excited by nature
the skittish colt leapt up when we approached
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skittish
But persistent homophobia and an anti-LGBTQ+ political climate have still made too many companies, Disney included, skittish about capitalizing on that trend.
—
Ana Osorno, Them., 25 Apr. 2025
Banks that were expecting a resurgence in IPOs and deals are instead contending with skittish capital markets.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge,annika Kim Constantino,leslie Josephs,ari Levy,amelia Lucas,melissa Repko,hugh Son,michael Wayland, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2025
Sand, the more skittish of the pair, absconded to Canada.
—John Semley, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2025
During his recent travels, Beehler encountered skittish whimbrels in Churchill and deliberately foraging whimbrels in Alaska.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Ana Osorno, Them., 25 Apr. 2025
Banks that were expecting a resurgence in IPOs and deals are instead contending with skittish capital markets.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge,annika Kim Constantino,leslie Josephs,ari Levy,amelia Lucas,melissa Repko,hugh Son,michael Wayland, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2025
Sand, the more skittish of the pair, absconded to Canada.
—John Semley, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2025
During his recent travels, Beehler encountered skittish whimbrels in Churchill and deliberately foraging whimbrels in Alaska.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skittish
Adjective
-
The telling of the entire story of America, after all, calls into question the greatness that Donald Trump pledges to restore, and agitates a base that remains threatened and excitable by our multicultural reality.—
Kevin Sack,
Time,
3 June 2025
-
Anyone familiar with the world of the Grateful Dead knows that one of the band’s most devoted and excitable fans was the late Bill Walton, the illustrious Hall of Fame NBA center who died in May 2024 at 71.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
At the time, David was a bit timid around dogs and initially kept his distance.—
Jordan Greene,
People.com,
3 June 2025
-
In the film, Colin, a timid man is swept off his feet when Ray, an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker takes him on as his submissive.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
But make no mistake: the situation remains extremely volatile.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
-
Instead of locking us into decades of volatile fossil fuel costs, Maryland should demand PJM approve the solar and storage projects already in their pipeline.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
The video highlighted how visibly nervous Jessie was while using jokes to get through the show.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
6 June 2025
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Sarah was nervous before the NBA Draft Following an athlete's personal journey can be exhilarating and emotional, as Sarah experienced in the lead-up to the 2022 NBA Draft.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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As the Republican Party braces for aftershocks from President Donald Trump’s spectacular clash with Elon Musk, lawmakers and conservative figures are urging détente, fearful of the potential consequences from a prolonged feud.—
Chris Megerian,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2025
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That has put greater attention on the employment data, with investors fearful that upcoming reports will start to show consumers and businesses crumbling under the weight of tariffs.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Entrepreneurs who want to survive must meet our current reality by staying as flexible as the market is unpredictable.—
Cynthia Pong,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
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Netflix offers premium, brand-safe content in a streaming environment that’s becoming increasingly fragmented and unpredictable.—
Shannon Carroll,
Quartz,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skittish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skittish. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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