squeamish

adjective

squea·​mish ˈskwē-mish How to pronounce squeamish (audio)
1
a
: easily nauseated : queasy
b
: affected with nausea
2
a
: excessively fastidious or scrupulous in conduct or belief
b
: easily offended or disgusted
squeamishly adverb
squeamishness noun

Examples of squeamish in a Sentence

I used to be squeamish about eating raw fish. I'm too squeamish to watch horror movies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Some squeamish folks may not want to hear this, but native flowers and plants are essential for making sure local ecosystems and pollinators, like lovely butterflies or hardworking bees, are healthy. Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025 Apparently, her story about a Hollywood actor determined to do anything to stay young and relevant resonated with even the most squeamish of voters. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2025 But the United States and its partners have been squeamish about endorsing any plans that would return Crimea to Ukraine. Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Foreign Affairs, 2 Jan. 2023 The success of The Substance has been an unlikely one — weathering COVID and squeamish executives. E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for squeamish

Word History

Etymology

Middle English squaymisch, modification of Anglo-French escoymous

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of squeamish was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Squeamish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squeamish. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

squeamish

adjective
squea·​mish ˈskwē-mish How to pronounce squeamish (audio)
1
a
: easily made sick : queasy
b
: affected with nausea : nauseated
2
: easily shocked or disgusted
squeamishly adverb
squeamishness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on squeamish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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