jittery

1 of 2

adjective

jit·​tery ˈji-tə-rē How to pronounce jittery (audio)
Synonyms of jitterynext
1
: suffering from the jitters
2
: marked by jittering movements
jitteriness
ˈji-tə-rē-nəs How to pronounce jittery (audio)
noun

jitteriness

2 of 2

noun

jit·​ter·​i·​ness -ərēnə̇s How to pronounce jitteriness (audio)
-rin-
plural -es
: the quality or state of being jittery

Synonyms of jittery

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Adjective

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Examples of jittery in a Sentence

Adjective I always get jittery when I have to give a speech. The latest economic news has made some investors jittery.
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Adjective
On Wednesday, jittery neighbors said the near disaster is definitely keeping them on edge. — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 8 July 2026 When Micron’s earnings report came out after markets closed on Wednesday, the story was the same as other times markets have been jittery about AI. — Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 Outside of a jittery first half against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Marsch’s Canada have consistently pushed the tempo in the World Cup. — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 24 June 2026 Vincent pursues Jimmy like a homing missile, but the young man is jittery and restless in his own skin up against Jimmy’s shameless self-assuredness. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for jittery

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1931, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of jittery was in 1931

Rhymes for jittery

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Browse Nearby Words

jitteriness
jittery
jiujitsu
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Cite this Entry

“Jittery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jittery. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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