heebie-jeebies
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: - Extreme nervousness; a state of anxiety, fear, or unease that causes jitters or the creeps. It refers to an intense feeling of apprehension or discomfort, often without a clear or rational cause.
Usage
The word "heebie-jeebies" is an informal, colloquial noun almost always used in the plural form. It describes a visceral, often sudden feeling of nervousness or revulsion. - It is typically used with the definite article "the" (e.g., the heebie-jeebies). - Common verbs used with it include: give (someone), get, have.
Examples
- That old, empty house gives me the heebie-jeebies. (That old, empty house makes me feel very nervous and creeped out.)
- I get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about speaking in public. (I become extremely nervous just thinking about speaking in public.)
- She had the heebie-jeebies after watching that scary movie alone. (She was filled with nervous fear after watching that scary movie alone.)
Advanced Usage
- To give someone the heebie-jeebies: To cause someone to feel intense nervousness or creepiness.
- The way he stares without blinking really gives me the heebie-jeebies.
- A case of the heebie-jeebies: An instance of experiencing this nervous feeling.
- Walking through the foggy graveyard, I felt a sudden case of the heebie-jeebies.
Variants and Related Words
- The jitters (n., informal): A state of nervousness.
- The creeps (n., informal): A feeling of fear and revulsion.
- Willies (n., informal): Similar to "heebie-jeebies" (e.g., ).
Synonyms
- Jitters: Nervousness.
- Creeps: A feeling of fear or disgust.
- Goosebumps: Physical reaction to fear or cold, sometimes used metaphorically for a creepy feeling.
- Anxiety: A more formal term for nervous worry.
Idioms Related
- To send a shiver down someone's spine: To cause a sudden feeling of fear or excitement.
- That eerie sound sent a shiver down my spine—total heebie-jeebies.
- To make one's skin crawl: To cause intense disgust or fear.
- The sight of all those spiders made my skin crawl; it was pure heebie-jeebies.
Noun
- extreme nervousness