jittery

[jit-uh-ree]

adjective, jit·ter·i·er, jit·ter·i·est.

extremely tense and nervous; jumpy: He's very jittery about the medical checkup.

Origin of jittery

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35; jitter + -y¹

Related formsjit·ter·i·ness, noun

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

British Dictionary definitions for jitteriness

jittery

adjective

informal nervous and anxious

Derived Formsjitteriness, 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 jitteriness

jittery

adj.

1931, American English, from jitter + -y (2). Related: Jitteriness.