Standard Lemma guide

squirrelly

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • General-American: /ˈskwɝli/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈskwɪɹəli/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)li
  • rhymes with -ɪɹəli

1

adj

Meaning 1

Resembling a squirrel.

Eccentric.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • Mom can act a bit squirrelly sometimes, and I swear it's usually worse after sunset.
  • Near-synonyms: batty, nuts, nutty; see also Thesaurus:eccentric, Thesaurus:insane

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: batty, nuts, nutty, aberrant, abnormal, anomalous, balmy, barmy, bizarre, crackpot, cranky, eccentric, eccentrical, erratic, excentrical, extraordinary, far-out, freakish, heteroclite, idiocentric, idiosyncratic, irregular, kookish, kooky, nutbar, odd, oddballish, off-centre, outlandish, outré, peculiar, pixilated, queer, quirky, quizzy, spacy, squirrelly, uncommon, wacky, weird, whimsical, whimsome, wifty, Wodehousian, Wonkaesque, 5150, bananas, barking, barking mad, buggish, buggy, bughouse, batchy, batpoop, bats, bonkers, bread baskets, cracked, crackers, cra-cra, cray, cray-cray, crazed, crazy, crazy as a bedbug, crazy as a cootie, crazy as a cootie bug, crazy as a pet coon, cuckoo, daffy, daft, demented, deranged, distraught, disturbed, doolally, dotty, fruit loops, gaga, hatstand, harebrained, insane, loon, loco, loony, loony tunes, loopy, lunatic, mad, mental, mentally ill, meshigener, meshugge, moonsick, nerts, non compos mentis, nonsane, nucking futs, nut job, nutballs, nut, nutso, nutter, off the beam, off the chain, over the edge, potty, psycho, psychoceramic, psychotic, sicko, screwy, starkers, tonto, unbalanced, unsane, wackadoodle, whackjob, whacko, whacky, wode, yampy, zany, apeshit, batcrap, batshit, bat-shit, fucked in the head, fucked up, ripshit

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Resembling a squirrel.

Unpredictable or jumpy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • "This aircraft seems to be acting a bit squirrelly," the pilot complained uneasily to his copilot.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Resembling a squirrel.

Literally so.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Some of these lemurs seem almost squirrelly.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From squirrel + -ly, 1925. Presumably from the erratic movement of squirrels, or by analogy with nuts (“insane”).