in a dither

Idioms and Phrases

Also, all of a dither ; in a flutter or tizzy . In a state of tremulous agitation, as in Planning the wedding put her in a dither , or He tried to pull himself together, but he was all of a dither , or She showed up in such a flutter that our meeting was useless . The noun dither dates from the early 1800s and goes back to the Middle English verb didderen , “to tremble”; in a flutter dates from the mid-1700s; in a tizzy dates from about 1930 and is of uncertain origin.

Example Sentences

Center Theatre Group, in a dither after Michael Ritchie’s lackluster tenure, is undergoing a search for its new leader.

From Los Angeles Times

Let’s examine what really has the bankers in a dither about Omarova.

From Los Angeles Times

“I think when people are kind of in a dither — ‘whom are we going to get?’ — when a person comes in with that kind of cash I think that it can create an immediate bump,” said Richard Vatz, a professor of rhetoric and communication at Towson University in Towson, Maryland.

From Washington Times

His reputation for extensive note-taking reportedly has Trump advisers in a dither about what damage he could do in the impeachment probe.

From Washington Post

So when director Robert J. Flaherty films his classic documentary “Man of Aran” nearby, the community, dazzled by the prospect of appearing in a Hollywood “fill-um,” is understandably in a dither.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• afraid
• agitated
• anxious
• frightened
• hesitant
• jittery
• nervous
• panicky
• scared
• shy
• skittish
• tense
• timid
• uneasy