jittery
/'dʤitəri/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- 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
- being in a tense state
- characterized by jerky movements
- a jittery ride