squeamish
adjective
squea·mish
ˈskwē-mish
1
a
: easily nauseated : queasy
b
: affected with nausea
2
a(1)
: excessively fastidious or scrupulous in conduct or belief
… I'm very fond of money and am not particularly squeamish. I would do anything that a man can do to secure it.—Anthony Trollope
(2)
: afraid to do or deal with things that might be hurtful or offensive
As a boss you can't be too squeamish to fire people.
b
: easily offended or disgusted
I'm too squeamish to watch gory horror movies.
squeamishly
adverb
squeamishness
noun
Cite this Entry
“Squeamish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squeamish. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.
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