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Synonyms

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.

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

"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

  • edgily adverb
  • edginess noun

Etymology

Origin of edgy

First recorded in 1765–75; edge + -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.

"The area we were collecting in is karst, so it's made of sharp, edgy limestone, and it's lost all of its natural soils," Riegler said.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

The Reform chief insisted the joke was intended to be "funny through being edgy and shocking", but said he had made attendees uncomfortable and had "instantly regretted it".

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The hosts discuss how billionaire dealmaking and rebrand fatigue is hurting the network’s reputation for edgy, prestige TV.

From Slate • Mar. 21, 2026

I need to feel edgy to perform well.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

I wanted so badly to describe the prairie smell to him, the sweet promise of spring after a Chinook, the warm, edgy rub of sage, the rib-eye steak smell of my fields.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

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.