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heebie-jeebies

[ hee-bee-jee-beez ]
/ ˈhi biˈdʒi biz /
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noun (used with a plural verb)Slang.
Usually the heebie-jeebies . a condition of extreme nervousness caused by fear, worry, strain, etc.; the jitters; the willies: Just thinking about ghosts gives me the heebie-jeebies.
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Origin of heebie-jeebies

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; rhyming compound coined by W. De Beck (1890–1942), American comic-strip cartoonist

Words nearby heebie-jeebies

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use heebie-jeebies in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for heebie-jeebies

heebie-jeebies
/ (ˈhiːbɪˈdʒiːbɪz) /

pl n
the heebie-jeebies slang apprehension and nervousness

Word Origin for heebie-jeebies

C20: coined by W. De Beck (1890–1942), American cartoonist
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
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