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Skittish vs Fitful - What's the difference?

skittish | fitful | Related terms |

As adjectives the difference between skittish and fitful

is that skittish is easily scared or startled; timid while fitful is irregular; unsteady; characterized by fits.

skittish

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Easily scared or startled; timid.
    • The cat likes people he knows, but he is skittish around strangers.
  • wanton; changeable; fickle
    • Skittish Fortune's hall. — Shakespeare.

    Synonyms

    * spookish * jumpy * squirrelly

    Derived terms

    * skittishly * skittishness

    See also

    * startle

    fitful

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Irregular; unsteady; characterized by fits.
    • His breathing was fitful .
  • *1605 , Shakespeare, Macbeth ,
    • [...] Duncan is in his grave;
    After life's fitful fever he sleeps well;
  • *1851 ,
  • *:The cabin lamp—taking long swings this way and that— was burning fitfully, and casting fitful shadows upon the old man’s bolted door [...]
  • *2012 , The Economist, The economy: Don’t say “green shoots”
  • *:So fitful has Britain’s economy been that any good news is understandably snatched at.

    • Derived terms

    * fitfully * fitfulness