skittishnessn.
The quality of being skittish, in various senses.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > excitement > excitability of temperament > spiritedness or liveliness > [noun] > excessive liveliness
skittishness1607
corkiness1845
the mind > will > decision > irresolution or vacillation > inconstancy > [noun] > capriciousness
giddinessa1290
lightnessc1384
gerishnessa1513
fantasticnessc1550
unstaidnessa1557
fantasticalness1583
triflingnessa1586
spleen1598
capriciousness1607
skittishness1607
humorousness1611
wavinga1628
volageness1633
arbitrariness1643
garishness1649
legerity1652
mercury1653
volatility1655
caprich1656
humoursomeness1662
hoity-toity1668
jollity1670
unaccountableness1676
freak1678
whimsya1680
featheriness1689
toysomeness1697
caprice1711
whimsicalness1715
flirtation1718
whima1721
flightiness1747
whimsicality1761
giggishness1781
fancifulness1818
hoity-toityness1820
whifflery1835
crotchetiness1837
quirkiness1870
faddishness1884
faddism1885
vagarity1886
erraticism1889
whimsiness1909
1607 G. Markham Cavelarice ii. 112 Skittishnesse, or fearefulnesse proceedeth..either from nature, youth, custome, or imperfitnesse of sight.
1692 C. Gildon in T. D'Urfey Marriage-hater Let. sig. a The Skittishness of Mrs. Margery, and the freakishness of Berenice.
1721 R. Steele Conscious Lovers iii. i Then, Phillis, consider how I must be reveng'd..of all your skittishness, shy looks, and at best but coy compliances.
1778 F. Burney Lett. 5 July He would fain have discovered the reason of my skittishness.
1863 N. Hawthorne Our Old Home I. 190 Something akin to feminine skittishness.
1874 M. Collins Transmigr. I. vi. 110 The old roan plodded along, his skittishness quite lost.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.1607