Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

jittery

American  
[jit-uh-ree] / ˈdʒɪt ə ri /

adjective

jitterier, jitteriest

  1. extremely tense and nervous; jumpy.

    He's very jittery about the medical checkup.
jittery British  
/ ˈdʒɪtərɪ /

adjective

  1. informal nervous and anxious

"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

  • jitteriness noun

Etymology

Origin of jittery

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

As Alpha waits for the results of blood tests, she is startled by the sudden appearance of a gaunt, jittery stranger in their apartment.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Spreads typically increase when investors feel jittery, worried about defaults or when alternative assets become more attractive to buy.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

That anxiety made me jittery and not as calm as I wished I could be around the babies.

From Slate • Mar. 15, 2026

He returned with a snippet of film documenting one of the most notorious cryptid sightings in history—a fleeting, jittery glimpse of a hairy figure crossing a riverbank.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

Gran gave the appropriate head nods and “uh-huhs” whenever I paused to take in a breath and calm my jittery nerves.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

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.