Definition of "skittish" [skit•tish]

• Moving quickly and lightly; lively. (adjective)
• Restlessly active or nervous; restive. (adjective)
• Undependably variable; mercurial or fickle. (adjective)
• Shy; bashful. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Still, shoppers remain skittish about the economic recovery, leaving the retail industry uncertain about the upcoming holiday season."
• "Bloomberg News Sales are rising, but companies remain skittish over demand."
• "Spirited horses, when not enough exercised, are often called skittish, when it is only play; and some grooms will punish them, but our John did not; he knew it was only high spirits."