jittery
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of jittery
Explanation
Jittery can describe jerky or nervous actions. If you consume a lot of caffeine, you might appear jittery. If a running back is darting around quickly and unpredictably, making herky-jerky movements, he's jittery. Also, jittery applies to people who feel nervous or tense. If you're worried about a test, you'll feel jittery. During the last minute of a basketball game, some players get jittery. Synonyms for this nervous kind of jittery are edgy, high-strung, jumpy, nervy, and uptight.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A jittery, summer stock market probably didn’t need renewed Middle East tensions, but here we are.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 8, 2026
The result: Inflation in May could come in below expectations, which would come as a relief to jittery investors.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
He’s raced to find ivory shoes for a forgetful groomsman and led a prayer to calm a jittery future husband.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
"We've got clients at the moment who are getting really jittery about Cyprus, which is a shame because tourism is their main industry."
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
I decided that nothing was amiss, but the very idea of the treasure still in the house made me jittery.
From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
