Antonyms for skittish

Grammar : Adj

Spell : skit-ish

Phonetic Transcription : ˈskɪt ɪʃ

Definition of skittish

Origin : early 15c., "very lively, frivolous," perhaps from Scandinavian base *skyt- (stem of Old Norse skjota "to shoot, launch, move quickly"), from PIE root *skeud- "to shoot, to chase, to throw, to project" (see shoot (v.)). Sense of "shy, nervous, apt to run" first recorded c.1500, of horses. Related: Skittishly; skittishness.

adj very nervous

Example sentences :

"There's only about a dozen guests there now, so you needn't get skittish," says he.
Extract from : « Shorty McCabe » by Sewell Ford

Usually he was not skittish nor afraid of trains or engines.
Extract from : « Bunny Brown and His Sister Sue in the Sunny South » by Laura Lee Hope

The horse is "skittish" and playful in the morning, not so much so at night.
Extract from : « The Story of the Mind » by James Mark Baldwin

"Shady says the roan's too skittish for any of the young ladies—" he suggested.
Extract from : « Blue Bonnet's Ranch Party » by C. E. Jacobs

Of course it's silly for a girl who's nearly nineteen to be as skittish as I am.
Extract from : « Otherwise Phyllis » by Meredith Nicholson

There is no satire, very little humor and nothing in the least skittish.
Extract from : « Ainslee's magazine, Volume 16, No. 3, October, 1905 » by Various

O, yes it does; a year's a great deal; they are so skittish at nineteen.
Extract from : « A Bold Stroke for a Husband » by Hannah Cowley

This gracefull and skittish little Animal is a wonder to behold.
Extract from : « Mr Punch's Animal Land » by E. T. Reed

But this made her skittish, and she stamped sharply half a dozen times.
Extract from : « Boys of The Fort » by Ralph Bonehill

They will not now change their title to the London Skittish.
Extract from : « Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 93, July 23, 1887. » by Various

Synonyms for skittish

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019