edgy

[ej-ee]

See more synonyms for edgy on Thesaurus.com

adjective, edg·i·er, edg·i·est.

nervously irritable; impatient and anxious.
sharp-edged; sharply defined, as outlines.
daringly innovative; on the cutting edge.

Origin of edgy

First recorded in 1765–75; edge + -y¹

Related formsedg·i·ly, adverbedg·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for edginess

nervousness, anxiety, agitation, insomnia, disquiet, jitters, uneasiness, ferment, instability, strain, apprehension, hostility, unease, discomfort, pressure, suspense, worry, concern, turmoil, restlessness

Examples from the Web for edginess

Contemporary Examples of edginess

You see that they've lost their sharp wit and edginess, but you've long come to terms with that.
'Glee' 100th Episode: The Sad Ballad of an Elderly Trainwreck
Kevin Fallon
March 19, 2014
Embracing that edginess, then, as she seems to be doing, would be key.
Is Kristen Wiig Still ‘Girl Most Likely’ to Succeed?
Kevin Fallon
July 22, 2013
It managed to walk the tightrope of edginess and heart without wobbling too nerve-rackingly in either direction.
‘The Office’ Used to Be a Great Show. No, Really! See Proof (VIDEO)
Kevin Fallon
May 14, 2013

Historical Examples of edginess

Don't be afraid of over-exactness, nor of hardness and edginess here.
The Painter in Oil
Daniel Burleigh Parkhurst
Every one would know that the clean and clever little story was her own and the edginess his.
Jane Journeys On
Ruth Comfort Mitchell
This also should so break up the edges as to get rid of any feeling of squareness or edginess.
The Painter in Oil
Daniel Burleigh Parkhurst

British Dictionary definitions for edginess

edgy

adjective -ier or -iest

(usually postpositive) nervous, irritable, tense, or anxious
(of paintings, drawings, etc) excessively defined
innovative, or at the cutting edge, with the concomitant qualities of intensity and excitement

Derived Formsedgily, adverbedginess, noun

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

Word Origin and History for edginess

edgy

adj.

"having sharp edges," 1755, from edge (n.) + -y (2). Meaning "tense and irritable" is attested by 1837, perhaps from notion of being on the edge, at the point of doing something irrational (a figurative use attested from c.1600).