edgy

American  

[ej-ee] / ˈɛdʒ i /

adjective

edgier, edgiest

1. nervously irritable; impatient and anxious.

2. sharp-edged; sharply defined, as outlines.

3. daringly innovative; on the cutting edge.

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edgy British  

/ ˈɛdʒɪ /

adjective

1. (usually postpositive) nervous, irritable, tense, or anxious

2. (of paintings, drawings, etc) excessively defined

3. innovative, or at the cutting edge, with the concomitant qualities of intensity and excitement

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Other Word Forms

• edginess
  noun
• edgily
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of edgy

First recorded in 1765–75; edge + -y ¹

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

Would you say he’s overly dismissive of criticism that the show isn’t funny, or what have you, not edgy enough, simply because he has heard it all before?

From Salon • Jul. 5, 2026

We all thought we were so edgy and alternative.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026

After an edgy chase over Ireland in their second match, this was more reminiscent of England's performance on the opening night of the tournament when they piled up 219-1 against Sri Lanka.

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026

Back then, the sport was edgy, at the margins.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

Brian had never seen the Brother so edgy, so nervous.

From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

Related Words

• excited
• restless
• skittish
• tense
• uneasy
• uptight