What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Skittish vs Unsteady - What's the difference?

skittish | unsteady | Related terms |

Skittish is a related term of unsteady.


As adjectives the difference between skittish and unsteady

is that skittish is easily scared or startled; timid while unsteady is not held firmly in position, physically unstable.

As a verb unsteady is

to render unsteady, removing balance.

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

    unsteady

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Not held firmly in position, physically unstable.
  • :
  • *
  • *:"Mid-Lent, and the Enemy grins," remarked Selwyn as he started for church with Nina and the children. Austin, knee-deep in a dozen Sunday supplements, refused to stir; poor little Eileen was now convalescent from grippe, but still unsteady on her legs; her maid had taken the grippe, and now moaned all day:"
  • Noted for lack of regularity or uniformity.
  • Inconstant in purpose, or volatile in behavior.

    • Synonyms

    * (not held or fixed securely and likely to fall over) precarious, rickety, shaky, tottering, unsafe, unstable, wobbly

    Antonyms

    * steady

    Verb

  • To render unsteady, removing balance.