twitchy

American  

[twich-ee] / ˈtwɪtʃ i /

adjective

twitchier, twitchiest

1. twitching or tending to twitch.

2. nervous; jumpy.

   All that pressure at the office has made him twitchy.

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twitchy British  

/ ˈtwɪtʃɪ /

adjective

1. nervous, worried, and ill-at-ease

   he was twitchy with anticipation

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• twitchiness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of twitchy

First recorded in 1740–50; twitch + -y ¹

Explanation

Someone who's twitchy is either making quick, unintentionally jerky movements, or is visibly anxious. If you're waiting to hear if you got a part you desperately want in the school play, you may be understandably twitchy. When someone twitches, their muscles are repeatedly contracting and releasing, they are twitchy. Your body may get a little twitchy after vigorous exercise, or your eye might tend to be twitchy when you're tired. People who are agitated or jumpy are also twitchy: "This movie's too suspenseful for me — it's making me twitchy!" Twitchy is from the 12th century to-twic-chen, "to pull apart with a quick jerk," and its Old English root which means "to pluck."

Example Sentences

Soon after, twitchy soldiers defending Los Angeles unleashed a barrage of antiaircraft fire at what was later suspected to be a stray weather balloon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Before the face-off drama, a twitchy, stone-faced Dubois glanced around at the stained-glass windows as the managers went toe-to-toe backing their men.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

He describes Paul's power as "twitchy… the kind where you think, 'oh, he's caught me there'."

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025

“I feel twitchy again, you know, I just feel good.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2025

Standing there without the dragon he looked—as his mother had said— ridiculously twitchy.

From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville