- lively or playful, esp. in a coy manner
- easily frightened; jumpy: a skittish horse
- fickle or undependable
Origin of skittish
ME: see skit and -ishThe Impala ram, wary of predators, was skittish while drinking at the waterhole.
A horse that gets very nervous at every little sound and that jumps and runs whenever he hears a noise is an example of a horse that would be described as skittish.
MLA Style
APA Style
Origin of skittish
ME: see skit and -ish
MLA Style
APA Style
adjective
Origin of skittish
Middle English perhaps of Scandinavian origin Old Norse skjōta to shoot ; see shoot .Related Forms:
adverb
noun
MLA Style
APA Style
MLA Style
APA Style