jumpy

[juhm-pee]

adjective

jumpier, jumpiest 

1. subject to sudden, involuntary starts, especially from nervousness, fear, excitement, etc.

   Synonyms: fidgety, skittish, jittery

2. characterized by sudden starts, jerks, or jumps.

   a jumpy narrative.

jumpy

/ ˈdʒʌmpɪ /

adjective

1. nervous or apprehensive

2. moving jerkily or fitfully

Other Word Forms

• jumpily adverb
• jumpiness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of jumpy¹

First recorded in 1865–70; jump + -y ¹

Example Sentences

It’s perhaps no surprise that markets are jumpy amid a government shutdown that is delaying data releases and with the world’s two largest economies threatening a trade war.

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This summer, in fact, unmusical jumpy video is at all times disconcerting.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“Cordially” is a little too jumpy for its own good, but its discursive heart is in the right place for these grievous times.

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Wales hadn't done with the jumpy Scots, though.

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And because cacao has much less caffeine than coffee, fans say it gives them an energetic boost without making them jumpy.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• apprehensive 
• creepy 
• excitable 
• fidgety 
• frisky 
• high-strung 
• jittery 
• restless 
• shaky 
• skittish 
• spooked www.thesaurus.com