edgy
Americanadjective
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nervously irritable; impatient and anxious.
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sharp-edged; sharply defined, as outlines.
-
daringly innovative; on the cutting edge.
adjective
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(usually postpositive) nervous, irritable, tense, or anxious
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(of paintings, drawings, etc) excessively defined
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innovative, or at the cutting edge, with the concomitant qualities of intensity and excitement
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of edgy
Explanation
If you're edgy, you're uptight, tense, or anxious. You might find yourself getting nervous and edgy right before you take a difficult test. A tendency to get edgy — irritable and jittery — might be a result of too much coffee, or just a personality trait. It's not a very helpful habit in most cases, leading you to snap at other people or just feel tense. An informal way to use edgy is to mean "experimental or daring." In the 18th century, something edgy literally had sharp edges, but by the early 1800s it came to mean "tense and irritable."
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:
Villa won but could have drawn - or equally triumphed more handsomely - during a game which went from comfortable to edgy to relief.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Phil became an opera company and Disney an almost fullfledged opera house, staging Mozart’s three Da Ponte operas with sets by famed architects, beginning with Gehry, and costumes by edgy designers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Now, the chain known for its deals and edgy marketing is cranking up its offerings again in a bid to quickly recover.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
He was an active participant in defending Andrew Tate, using his influence to validate an accused predator because it fit the edgy, anti-establishment aesthetic of the modern manosphere media.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
I collapse onto the couch with a Coke, feeling edgy and restless.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
Belgium had that natural edge, and then, a crazy episode made them edgier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Some have rejected the film as flimsy satire; others have wanted its message to be edgier and more obvious.
From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2026
Fan favorites Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo return in this slightly edgier ‘NCIS’ offshoot set in foreign locations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
So whether you want family-friendly fare, holiday vibes, relaxing release or edgier escapism – there’s plenty to check out.
From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2025
In another reality, Leo might’ve enjoyed a walk on the beach with a pretty girl, but the farther they went, the edgier he felt.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Every Disney movie raises us to recognize that villains always get the best lines, the edgiest wardrobes and, sometimes, the most darling pets.
From Salon ● Jan. 28, 2026
The Aluminaire House, one of the earliest and edgiest examples of the International Style of modernist architecture in America, was never meant to withstand a harsh desert climate.
From New York Times ● Jan. 25, 2024
Charlotte has never been the edgiest tool in the box, but I know she reads Vogue, where style can mean pants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2021
And there’s one of the edgiest tracks yet from the band — “Cutthroat,” an anthem about killing the critic inside of you.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 30, 2021
He’ll use it all to unleash the edgiest, best Westbrook.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 21, 2020
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.
