squirrelly

10 9.1

Feeling nervous and acting in strange, unpredictable ways

adjective
/ˈskwɜrli/

Informal

: inquieto

She always gets a bit squirrelly before public speaking, which makes her fidget.
get squirrelly
act squirrelly
feel squirrelly

And I know this can't go on, but I don't love that, squirrelly blurts.

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Examples

Stop acting so squirrelly.

Creature (2011)
Hey, you're driving all squirrelly, man.

The Paperboy (2012)
But you seem a little squirrelly.

Easter Sunday (2022)
Listen, Charlie, don't go squirrelly on me now, okay?

The Ice Harvest (2005)
He was acting all squirrelly last night...

Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
It feels a little squirrelly.

Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023)
He's going a little squirrelly.

The Black Dahlia (2006)
You can stop complaining about how squirrelly Lucinda has been.

Fiction book (2002)
See, everyone's liable to get a little more squirrelly now they know the stakes.

Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
It's easy to make jokes about us being spacey or squirrelly—believe me, I hear them regularly still.

Blog text (18)

Synonyms

jittery

vssquirrelly

26 4.5

Feeling nervous and unable to stay still

is similar but also includes behaving oddly and unpredictably

skittish

vssquirrelly

25 7.0

Easily frightened or nervous and likely to move suddenly

is more about restless nervousness rather than sudden fear

antsy

vssquirrelly

Informal

25 7.0

Being nervous and unable to keep still

is more about odd or unpredictable conduct, not just restlessness

flighty

vssquirrelly

9 7.4

A person who changes plans and loses interest easily

is more about nervous restlessness rather than mere unreliability

twitchy

vssquirrelly

Informal

9 4.6

Feeling nervous and unable to stay still

is broader, including general strange or unpredictable behavior beyond small jerks

fidgety

vssquirrelly

8 4.8

Unable to stay still because you feel nervous

is broader, adding strange or unpredictable behavior beyond restlessness

in a tizzy

vssquirrelly

Informal

4 8.6

Feeling very nervous and confused about something

is more about restless nervousness and unpredictable behavior rather than brief panic

squirrely

vssquirrelly

Informal

3 8.4

Acting nervous and strange in a way you cannot predict

has identical meaning but uses the other common spelling

fluttery

vssquirrelly

2 4.9

Feeling nervous and excited with a quick, shaky feeling in the body

is less light, often implying stronger restlessness or odd actions

squirmy

vssquirrelly

1 3.5

Moving in a restless, wiggly way

is less about movement and more about nervousness and odd acting

skittery

vssquirrelly

1 8.7

Moving quickly and lightly because it is nervous or easily startled

is more general, covering feelings and odd unpredictable behavior too

flitty

vssquirrelly

8.4

Acting quickly and changing mood or interest often

is about restless nervousness and odd unpredictable actions

Antonyms

calm

735 1.0

Not showing strong feelings and being very still

stable

473 2.3

Not likely to change and stays steady over time

composed

1 4.3

Calm and in control of your feelings during stress

Compounds

squirrelly behavior

Informal

9.0

Nervous, strange actions that make people feel uneasy

How Nervous

panicked

16 4.6

jittery

26 4.5

squirrelly

Informal

10 9.1

uneasy

98 3.2

calm

735 1.0

Surface Forms

squirrelly positive

squirrelier comparative

squirrelliest superlative

Morphology

squirrelly = squirrel (semi-transparent) = squirrel + y

The adjective is formed by adding '-y' meaning 'like or characteristic of' a squirrel, but the meaning 'restless, jittery' is a figurative extension rather than a strictly literal description.

Etymology

Squirrelly comes from squirrel plus the ending -y, so it literally means 'like a squirrel'. Squirrels are quick, jumpy and sometimes unpredictable, and they often 'squirrel away' things, so squirrelly describes someone feeling nervous, jittery, or acting in a strange, hard-to-predict way.