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Synonyms

jittery

American  
[jit-uh-ree] / ˈdʒɪt ə ri /

adjective

jitterier, jitteriest

  1. extremely tense and nervous; jumpy.

    He's very jittery about the medical checkup.
jittery British  
/ ˈdʒɪtərɪ /

adjective

  1. informal nervous and anxious

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • jitteriness noun

Etymology

Origin of jittery

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35; jitter + -y 1

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.

Now, Wall Street is jittery about a recent breakthrough at Google.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

Still, there’s plenty of reason to feel jittery at the moment.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

As Alpha waits for the results of blood tests, she is startled by the sudden appearance of a gaunt, jittery stranger in their apartment.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

With disclosures like that, it is little wonder many investors got jittery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

But I felt jittery, wondering what she was thinking.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

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.