# skittish

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈskɪtɪʃ/ · frequency rank #45,660

## Definitions
1. Easily scared or startled; timid.
2. Wanton; changeable; fickle.
3. Difficult to manage; tricky.

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

## Easily confused with
- **Scottish** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scottish-vs-skittish)
- **skirmish** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/skirmish-vs-skittish)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ksittish`, `sikttish`, `skitish`, `skititsh`, `skittihs`, `skittishh`, `skittissh`, `skittsih`, `skkittish`, `sktitish`, `sskittish`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/skittish