What does skittered mean?
Skittered is the past tense and past participle of skitter, a verb describing movement that is quick, light, and often irregular. It is especially evocative of small animals darting or scampering across a surface, but it can also portray people moving furtively or nervously. The word carries a sense of hurried energy and may imply that the movement is sudden, scattered, or temporary rather than controlled. In literary or descriptive writing, “skittered” can make an ordinary action vivid by suggesting nervous energy, for example when a rabbit moves through a garden or a crowd murmurs spreads through a room. The term is common in both British and American English, though it has a somewhat more informal and expressive tone than neutral alternatives such as “moved,” “ran,” or “darted.”
verbTo move quickly and lightly, especially with short, irregular steps or motions. It can also refer to a person or animal moving away with sudden, nervous haste.
- To move quickly and lightly with short, irregular steps.
- To move away suddenly or nervously, often in a scattered or furtive way.
"The startled rabbit skittered across the garden and disappeared into the hedge."
"The beetle skittered along the windowsill, stopping whenever it sensed movement."
"After the interview, he skittered out of the building without speaking to anyone."
A single expressive word captures the nervous energy of small feet moving quickly: a rabbit can skitter, a rumor can skitter through a crowd, and a person can skitter away from an awkward situation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does skittered come from?
The exact origin of skitter is uncertain. It is an English formation associated with the expressive skit- stem and developed with the sense of moving quickly and lightly. Its history reflects the use of sound-based word formation to create vivid verbs describing hurried or nervous movement.
Related word forms
How skittered is actually used
The word is especially vivid for small animals or quick, nervous movement. It is informal and descriptive rather than formal, and it often suggests a somewhat frantic or unsettled quality.