jittery
Americanadjective
-
jitterier,
comparative
-
jitteriest
superlative
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of jittery
Explanation
Jittery can describe jerky or nervous actions. If you consume a lot of caffeine, you might appear jittery. If a running back is darting around quickly and unpredictably, making herky-jerky movements, he's jittery. Also, jittery applies to people who feel nervous or tense. If you're worried about a test, you'll feel jittery. During the last minute of a basketball game, some players get jittery. Synonyms for this nervous kind of jittery are edgy, high-strung, jumpy, nervy, and uptight.
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 French government defended on Thursday its plans to cut spending and raise taxes as it tries to thread the needle between jittery debt markets and public discontent over the rising cost of living.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
His running between the wickets is jittery and he is rarely placed in an important position in the field.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
U.S. stocks fell in a jittery session amid doubts about the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Big spending into a jittery bond market is roughly like lighting a match to check whether the gas leak is real.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Joaquin thought that when Linda drove on the freeway, everyone in the car felt jittery.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
