adjective
squeamish
SKWEE-mish/ˈskwiːmɪʃ/
Easily upset by things that seem unpleasant, offensive, or improper.
The squeamish man turns away from the tiny cut while his friend calmly holds a bandage.
Etymology
Anglo-French escoymous meant “disdainful, fastidious,” linking squeamishness with strong aversion as well as physical discomfort. The nausea sense may partly reflect association with qualmish; escoymous itself has an unknown origin.
In context
He stayed long enough to witness John Brown’s public hanging which made the squeamish actor go pale, weak and light-headed as the condemned thrashed about
More examples
- He is too squeamish to discuss the messy details.
- I'm not squeamish about asking how much something costs.
- The movie's violent scenes make some viewers squeamish.
Forms
squeamish · more squeamish · most squeamish
squeamishness noun — Uneasiness about unpleasant, offensive, or improper things.
Similar words
- sensitive
- Describes being easily affected emotionally, not necessarily by unpleasantness.
- prudish
- Focuses on disapproval of sexual matters or perceived indecency.
- fastidious
- Emphasizes demanding standards rather than discomfort with unpleasant things.