Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Nervous, anxious, or tense: Describes a state of being easily agitated, worried, or on edge, often with small, involuntary movements.
   • Characterized by quick, jerky, or unsteady movements: Describes something that moves in a shaky, jumpy, or irregular way.

Usage Examples

• Describing a person's emotional state:
  • She felt jittery before her big presentation.
  • Drinking too much coffee makes me feel jittery.
• Describing physical movement or quality:
  • The old elevator gave a jittery ride to the top floor.
  • The video was jittery due to a poor connection.

Advanced Usage

• "to be jittery about something": to feel nervous or anxious about a specific thing.
  • Investors are jittery about the new economic report.
• "to make someone jittery": to cause someone to feel nervous or tense.
  • The constant alarms were making the whole office jittery.

Variants and Related Words

• Jitter (n): A small, quick, nervous movement or feeling of anxiety. Often used in the plural.
  • He had a bad case of the jitters before the interview.
• Jitteriness (n): The state or quality of being jittery.
  • The jitteriness in the market was palpable.

Synonyms

• Nervous: Easily agitated or alarmed; anxious.
• Edgy: Tense, nervous, or irritable.
• Jumpy: Nervous and anxious, reacting suddenly to slight stimuli.
• Skittish: Nervous or excitable; easily scared.

Antonyms

• Calm: Not showing or feeling nervousness, anger, or other strong emotions.
• Relaxed: Free from tension and anxiety.
• Steady: Firmly fixed, supported, or balanced; not shaking or moving.

Related Phrases

• To have the jitters: To feel very nervous or anxious.
  • I always get the jitters before flying.
• Jitterbug: While primarily a dance, the name evokes a sense of quick, jerky movement, related to the core meaning of "jittery."

Adjective

1. being in a tense state
2. characterized by jerky movements
   • a jittery ride