tizzy
Americannoun
plural
tizzies-
Slang.
-
a dither.
-
a nervous, excited, or distracted state.
-
-
British Obsolete. a sixpence.
noun
Etymology
Origin of tizzy
First recorded in 1795–1805; origin uncertain
Explanation
If you're feeling nervous and agitated, you're in a tizzy. If you dislike public speaking, you might be in a tizzy about an upcoming presentation you're giving at school. The noun tizzy can be positive or negative. So you may get into a tizzy about a big party you're throwing next week, feeling anxious and excited simultaneously. But you can also be in a tizzy about your terrible grade on a math test. Experts aren't sure about the origin of this informal American word, although they know it's been in use since the 1930s.
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.
That he comes out looking like Alexander Skarsgård sets the whole town into a tizzy.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 31, 2026
The age estimator sent some Spotify listeners into a tizzy over being declared decades older and, by some interpretations, perhaps not-so-cool.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
This week, he phoned Jeff Bezos in a tizzy, furious over a reported Amazon plan to show consumers how much of each product’s price owed to the new tariffs on imported goods.
From Slate • May 2, 2025
Altman shared his anime cricketer avatar on X on Thursday, sending Indian social media users into a tizzy.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2025
“Since when are you excited to do homework? What’s got you all in a tizzy today?”
From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper
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.
