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Synonyms

jittery

American  
[jit-uh-ree] / ˈdʒɪt ə ri /

adjective

jitterier, jitteriest

  1. extremely tense and nervous; jumpy.

    He's very jittery about the medical checkup.
jittery British  
/ ˈdʒɪtərɪ /

adjective

  1. informal  nervous and anxious

"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

  • jitteriness noun

Etymology

Origin of jittery

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35; jitter + -y 1

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.

Norris can take the title if he finishes on the podium, but to judge from his jittery weekend in Qatar it may not be as simple as that.

From Barron's

After years of riding a wellness wave, they’ve suddenly found themselves squeezed between rising costs and a jittery consumer.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Black Magic,” with a jittery descending chord progression filled with tension, is the record’s only faster song.

From The Wall Street Journal

A Federal Reserve speaker a day is keeping the selloff away and seems to be the perfect tonic for jittery markets.

From Barron's

"I'm awake, but I'm not jittery," she says of the drink.

From BBC

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.