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

Walk around it, and the shifting, light-reflective and -absorbent white forms create an uncanny illusion of the pillar in jumpy, unstable motion.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"Both the US and Taiwan are paranoid and jumpy about Palau switching," said Graeme Smith, a senior fellow at the Australian National University.

Read more on BBC

He was jumpy and nervous, pacing Beejee’s living room and wringing his hands.

Read more on Literature

Ms. Danes gives a jumpy, twitchy, nervous performance, but Aggie remains sympathetic.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They should remember the invaluable lesson of treating conflict as an opportunity to get attention, rather than something to run away from due to the fear of alienating jumpy donors.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

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