antsy

American

[ant-see] / ˈænt si /

adjective

Informal.

antsier, antsiest

unable to sit or stand still; fidgety.

The children were bored and antsy.
apprehensive, uneasy, or nervous.

I'm a little antsy since hearing those storm warnings.

antsy British

/ ˈæntsɪ /

adjective

informal restless, nervous, and impatient

"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

antsiness noun

Etymology

Origin of antsy

1950–55; ant + -s ³ + -y ¹; -sy

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 terrific Mr. Baker portrays Leigh with antsy anxiousness thinly masked by a veneer of professional camaraderie—he knows that Jay’s participation is crucial to the success, or maybe existence, of the production.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Major reactions to relatively minor events show that shareholders are getting antsy as AI investment grows with little measurable return behind it.

From Barron's • Nov. 13, 2025

Director James Gunn’s antsy reboot skips past the origin story of infant Kal-El slamming into Kansas in an escape pod from Krypton.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2025

House members in swing districts and senators in purple states are probably starting to feel a little bit antsy.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2025

I’m antsy to get started, afraid she might change her mind.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023