as in anxiety
a state of nervousness marked by sudden jerky movements
the edginess of the basketball players in the moments before the start of the tournament was apparent
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Recent Examples of edginess
Alvarado is only 6-foot, but the five-year NBA veteran finds ways to overcome his undersized stature with energy, edginess and IQ.
—
Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
This wood vanity brings an edginess to your bathroom decor.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 21 Apr. 2026
Without going the easy route of just talking about whatever group is in the edginess Zeitgeist at the moment, Holmes is tapping into an audience’s desire to have someone express their anger and frustration at the world, but in a way that is more openhearted and connective.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
At the Grammys, Minerva applied the classic neutral OPI Bare My Soul to Lovato's nails but outlined each one with thin strokes of Black Onyx for just the right amount of edginess, and did the same with rhinestones for a glitzy, glam mani during the holidays.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 19 Feb. 2026
Feeling hesitant about periwinkle’s edginess?
—Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 29 Jan. 2026
High-waist black leather pants and a crop top add edginess, while the trench effortlessly pulls the look together.
—Samantha Brash, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026
Besides playing with his usual defensive edginess, Larsson chipped in 16 points (7-for-9 shooting), nine assists, six rebounds and a steal and twice managed to infuriate normally mild-manner veteran DeMar DeRozan, who body checked him to the ground on one sequence and clotheslined him on another.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
To generate relevancy and influence, social-media algorithms demand spectacle, conflict, and edginess.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
This wood vanity brings an edginess to your bathroom decor.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 21 Apr. 2026
Without going the easy route of just talking about whatever group is in the edginess Zeitgeist at the moment, Holmes is tapping into an audience’s desire to have someone express their anger and frustration at the world, but in a way that is more openhearted and connective.
—Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026
At the Grammys, Minerva applied the classic neutral OPI Bare My Soul to Lovato's nails but outlined each one with thin strokes of Black Onyx for just the right amount of edginess, and did the same with rhinestones for a glitzy, glam mani during the holidays.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 19 Feb. 2026
Feeling hesitant about periwinkle’s edginess?
—Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 29 Jan. 2026
High-waist black leather pants and a crop top add edginess, while the trench effortlessly pulls the look together.
—Samantha Brash, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026
Besides playing with his usual defensive edginess, Larsson chipped in 16 points (7-for-9 shooting), nine assists, six rebounds and a steal and twice managed to infuriate normally mild-manner veteran DeMar DeRozan, who body checked him to the ground on one sequence and clotheslined him on another.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
To generate relevancy and influence, social-media algorithms demand spectacle, conflict, and edginess.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for edginess
Noun
-
Renter Mandy Feng, who prefers to use a pseudonym for fear of being seen criticizing the authorities, said the stimulus the government is offering has failed to offset people’s anxiety over an uncertain economic outlook.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
-
As anyone who deals with anxiety knows, one of its chief triggers is uncertainty.—
Tom Dotan,
Vanity Fair,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Though the vote still failed largely along party lines, Murkowski's flip was a warning sign for the White House about the unease of some Republicans on Capitol Hill as the conflict drags on.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
Many Asian countries now count China as their largest trading partner, a reality that creates both opportunity and unease.—
Yu Jie,
Time,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Another reasonable worry is energy.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
14 May 2026
-
With one less worry – a safe home – Denise can now imagine a future for her family.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Exposing the dental pulp and cleaning out the cavity’s contents also would have deadened the nerves and blood vessels there, leading to pain relief, Zubova said.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
-
Yields fell across durations on Wednesday morning as nerves calmed, but narrowed on reports Starmer’s leadership rival Wes Streeting is preparing to resign as health secretary.—
Elsa Ohlen,Joseph Wilkins,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Advertisement Xi’s invocation of Thucydides’ Trap comes at a time when tensions between the rival superpowers could boil over on any of a number of issues, from trade to AI to Taiwan.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
15 May 2026
-
Senator Peter Welch framed the same tension through affordability, arguing that the system increasingly shifts costs, complexity and administrative burden across institutions while patients experience rising anxiety and diminishing visibility into how care decisions are made.—
Demetri Giannikopoulos,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
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The caffeinated formula adds natural caffeine from green coffee bean extract — typically around 150 mg per serving — along with L-theanine, included to smooth out jitteriness.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
6 May 2026
-
However, stick to one cup of moderately strong coffee or lower-strength caffeine (not more than 100 milligrams) to avoid jitteriness and other side effects.—
Emmanuella Ogbonna,
Health,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Market jumpiness can serve as a good moment for those nearing the end of their career to make sure their nest egg is prepared for a downturn, Benz said.—
Annie Nova,Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Conference Board economist Dana Peterson noted these state indexes have a history of statistical jumpiness.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Now, with early voting for the March 3 primary set to start next week, the mudslinging in both races is expected to soar, according to insiders with both parties watching with skittishness from Texas and Washington.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
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The skittishness with tech stocks subsided on Friday, with shares of Nvidia and Microsoft going up, as did the price of Bitcoin.—
Carlos Garcia,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Edginess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/edginess. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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