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
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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
Selling infrastructure to the panopticon was not a safe play, and investors were skittish.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
The wildlife, of course, is less skittish with fewer people around; plus, animals are raring to go after emerging from their winter slowdowns.
—Tanvi Chheda, AFAR Media, 17 Jan. 2025
Rosie, a feral cat his wife adopted and slowly coaxed into trusting her, was skittish and unfriendly, and rarely interacted with Mr. Escott.
—Kellen Browning, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Like many other retailers, Party City marked down prices in September – on more than 2,000 items by an average of 20% – to attract skittish customers and drive sales.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
The wildlife, of course, is less skittish with fewer people around; plus, animals are raring to go after emerging from their winter slowdowns.
—Tanvi Chheda, AFAR Media, 17 Jan. 2025
Rosie, a feral cat his wife adopted and slowly coaxed into trusting her, was skittish and unfriendly, and rarely interacted with Mr. Escott.
—Kellen Browning, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
Like many other retailers, Party City marked down prices in September – on more than 2,000 items by an average of 20% – to attract skittish customers and drive sales.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for skittish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skittish
Adjective
-
Star is probably the most excitable person in the history of the show.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
27 Feb. 2025
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Something that had been anticipated for a while finally went down Wednesday night, adding to the already excitable atmosphere pulsating throughout Crypto.com Arena.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Cheered on by timid bankers who wouldn't risk a lemon in their sparse baskets.—
Dan Primack,
Axios,
11 Mar. 2025
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To say that does not trivialize the Holocaust, as some timid folk insist.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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His masculinity, though less volatile, is as stunted as Stanley’s.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
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While many are penciling in lower stock values due to higher risks of a recession and elevated inflation due to a rising chance of a trade war, others say the volatile stock market needs some context.—
Medora Lee,
USA TODAY,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Mitch [Hurwitz, the show creator] was very nervous.—
Aaron Couch,
The Hollywood Reporter,
14 Mar. 2025
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Trump won't be on the ballot again, but this week had to make a lot of Republicans who will be very nervous.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The first grooming session left her dog fearful and anxious, which is common among canines.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
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Morale inside the agency has plummeted, and retirees are growing fearful that the system might start faltering in getting checks out.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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March Madness will always be unpredictable—but that doesn't mean your bracket has to be.—
Kilty Cleary,
Newsweek,
17 Mar. 2025
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Sometimes, as today’s business leaders are well aware, the future is unpredictable, and its demands are unprecedented.—
Anar Mammadov,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skittish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skittish. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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