jitter

1 of 2

noun

jit·​ter ˈji-tər How to pronounce jitter (audio)
1
jitters ˈji-tərz How to pronounce jitter (audio) plural : a sense of panic or extreme nervousness
had a bad case of the jitters before his performance
2
: the state of mind or the movement of one that jitters
3
: irregular random movement (as of a pointer or an image on a television screen)
also : vibratory motion

jitter

2 of 2

verb

jittered; jittering; jitters

intransitive verb

1
: to make continuous fast repetitive movements
2
: to be nervous or act in a nervous way

Examples of jitter in a Sentence

Noun always got the jitters right before a test
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Tyla, who took home the inaugural Best African Music Performance award in 2024 for Water, was taking it all in her stride and not letting any pre-show jitters get to her. Kelsey Stewart, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2026 Sure, there are jitters about an AI bubble. Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
Unemployment jitters The jobless rate in the U.K. at the end of October — the latest month for which figures are available — stood at 5.1%, its highest since March 2021, when the economy was emerging from the last of the three Covid lockdowns. Ian King, CNBC, 7 Jan. 2026 Wall Street jitters over the White House economic policy continued again, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average was off by more than 300 points in morning trading. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for jitter

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1931, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of jitter was in 1929

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jitter. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.

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