Cambridge Dictionaries online Cambridge Dictionaries online

The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English

  

skittish

adjective
 
 
/ˈskɪt.ɪʃ/ US  /ˈskɪt̬-/

Definition

(of people and animals) nervous or easily frightened, or (of a person) not serious and likely to change their beliefs or opinions often: My horse is rather skittish, so I have to keep him away from traffic. Investors are skittish about the impact of an economic downturn. Marilyn was a complete child, playful and skittish one moment, sulky and withdrawn the next.Anxious and worried skittishly
 
 
/-li/ adverb
Anxious and worried
skittishness
 
 
/-nəs/ noun [U]
Anxiety and worry - general wordsFear and phobias
(Definition of skittish adjective from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

“skittish” in other dictionaries

Word of the Day

throw caution to the wind/winds

to do something without worrying about the risk or negative results

Word of the Day

Blog

Read our blog about how the English language behaves.

Learn More

New Words

Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.

Learn More