jitter

[ jit-er ]

/ ˈdʒɪt ər /

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See synonyms for: jitter / jittered / jittering / jitters on Thesaurus.com

noun

(the) jitters, nervousness; a feeling of fright or uneasiness: Every time I have to make a speech, I get the jitters.

fluctuations in the image on a television screen or in copy received by facsimile transmission, caused by interference or by momentary failures of synchronization.

verb (used without object)

to behave nervously.

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Origin of jitter

First recorded 1920–25; variant of chitter “to shiver” (Middle English chiteren ), modification or variant of chatter

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

How to use jitter in a sentence

After 10 minutes or so, I feel like I drank a small cup of coffee—minus the jitters.
High-Tech Meditation: Swap Your Yogi for a Headset|Gregory Ferenstein|April 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was a case of the jitters, a nation primed to jump at the word “Boo!”
When Mars Attacked 75 Years Ago—And Everyone Believed It|Marc Wortman|October 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
So much for a pre-board glass of wine, here you can calm your jitters with a pre-flight drag.
Smoking Ban? Here's Where Cigarettes Are Still Allowed|Abby Haglage|February 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
No wonder that medical scare left us with a case of the jitters.
Hillary Angst|Tina Brown|January 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST

It is a very British take on the mishaps, family drama, and last minute jitters of a bride on the day of her wedding.
‘Downton Abbey’ Star Elizabeth McGovern on Season 3, ‘Cheerful Weather for the Wedding,’ and More|Lorenza Muñoz|December 31, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Within five minutes everybody aboard had the galloping collywobbles and the twittering jitters.
Unwise Child|Gordon Randall Garrett
The whole earth had the jitters because of the apparently inevitable trial of strength between its two most gigantic powers.
Operation Terror|William Fitzgerald Jenkins
All the elves were done working, now cozy in bed, While Christmas Eve jitters danced around in their head.
FreeChildrenStories.com Collection|Daniel Errico
Comes out and sits on the side lines to watch practice quite often, and he gives me the jitters.
The Mystery of Arnold Hall|Helen M. Persons
The police might tell her she had been seized with a plain case of jitters.
The Crystal Ball|Roy J. Snell

British Dictionary definitions for jitter

jitter

/ (ˈdʒɪtə) informal /

verb

(intr) to be anxious or nervous

noun

the jitters nervousness and anxiety

electronics small rapid variations in the amplitude or timing of a waveform arising from fluctuations in the voltage supply, mechanical vibrations, etc

Word Origin for jitter

C20: of unknown origin

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

jitter

Origin of jitter

Words related to jitter

How to use jitter in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for jitter

Word Origin for jitter