jumpy

[ juhm-pee ]

adjective

, jump·i·er, jump·i·est.

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

Derived Forms

• ˈjumpily, adverb
• ˈjumpiness, noun

Other Words From

• jumpi·ly adverb
• jumpi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of jumpy¹

First recorded in 1865–70; jump + -y ¹

Example Sentences

The part seems to have been shaped, or reshaped, to Goldblum’s jumpy rhythms and a delivery that retains a note of the comic however serious the matter.

From Los Angeles Times

We drove through sandstorms and dozens of checkpoints guarded by jumpy fighters, reaching Khartoum, the ravaged city where the war began.

From New York Times

Trading may also have been jumpy because of a holiday in Japan that kept its stock market closed.

From Seattle Times

Those numbers strip out the effects of fuel and some other prices that are notoriously jumpy, and economists say they can give a better idea of where inflation is heading.

From Seattle Times

A jumpy attempt to find Billy Gilmour, which was all risk and no reward.

From BBC

Related Words

• apprehensive
• creepy
• excitable
• fidgety
• frisky
• high-strung
• jittery
• restless
• shaky
• skittish
• spooked