tizzy
Americannoun
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Slang.
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a dither.
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a nervous, excited, or distracted state.
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British Obsolete. a sixpence.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tizzy
First recorded in 1795–1805; origin uncertain
Explanation
If you're feeling nervous and agitated, you're in a tizzy. If you dislike public speaking, you might be in a tizzy about an upcoming presentation you're giving at school. The noun tizzy can be positive or negative. So you may get into a tizzy about a big party you're throwing next week, feeling anxious and excited simultaneously. But you can also be in a tizzy about your terrible grade on a math test. Experts aren't sure about the origin of this informal American word, although they know it's been in use since the 1930s.
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.
See Examples For:
Tilly Norwood, the AI movie star, has Hollywood in a tizzy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
Altman shared his anime cricketer avatar on X on Thursday, sending Indian social media users into a tizzy.
From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2025
The rule sent the industry into a tizzy, with the main concern that buyers, especially those who qualify for zero-down programs, won’t be willing or able to pay those commissions out of pocket.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2024
Also: the “founder mode” trend has Silicon Valley types in a tizzy, but does it apply to women CEOs?
From Slate ● Sep. 7, 2024
We were in a tizzy then until Lamont escaped out into his free afternoon.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
But then she began sending demos to Ismaily, who replied to her uncertain hymns with tizzies of pre-dawn gut reactions.
From New York Times ● Jun. 27, 2023
The ability to cause conversation, to stir pots, to cause tizzies is far more crucial.
From New York Times ● May 20, 2020
The tizzies in which the islanders become involved may be trivial�can anyone really fret about the problems of a cuckolded duke if he is called Droopy?�but they are enjoyed by all hands, including the author.
From Time Magazine Archive
Now all he had to do was get a little hint of something connected with cultural xenology, and his mind went off on dizzy tizzies.
From Dead Giveaway by Garrett, Randall
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.
