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

1. extreme nervousness