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Added 10 October 2026

skittish

/ˈskɪtɪʃ/ adjective

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about skittish at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Easily scared or startled; timid.
The dog likes people he knows, but he is skittish around strangers.
Wanton; changeable; fickle.
Difficult to manage; tricky.

Origin

Probably from skite (“to move lightly and hurriedly; to move suddenly, particularly in an oblique direction (Scotland, Northern England)”) + -ish; compare skitter.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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