1
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
with an edgy voice the spelling-bee contestant started to spell the tongue twister
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
be careful as you walk along the beach—those broken clam shells are edgy enough to cut your feet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in provocative
serving or likely to arouse a strong reaction
a director known for his edgy, over-the-top satires on modern life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of edgy
A lot of New Yorkers were on edge, and Goetz was an edgy character to begin with.
—
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Feb. 2026
One notable style moment took place when Skarsgård wore an edgy outfit during the BFI London Film Festival, pairing a backless white halterneck shirt with leather trousers.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
In 1976, O’Hara was in the initial cast for SCTV, which brought Second City to television, serving as a looser, edgier version of Saturday Night Live, which had debuted on American TV the year before.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
Evil-Lyn This edgier, extra-articulated action figure boasts collector-level detail and movie-accurate design, including the likeness of actress Alison Brie.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for edgy
Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 1 Feb. 2026
One notable style moment took place when Skarsgård wore an edgy outfit during the BFI London Film Festival, pairing a backless white halterneck shirt with leather trousers.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
In 1976, O’Hara was in the initial cast for SCTV, which brought Second City to television, serving as a looser, edgier version of Saturday Night Live, which had debuted on American TV the year before.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
Evil-Lyn This edgier, extra-articulated action figure boasts collector-level detail and movie-accurate design, including the likeness of actress Alison Brie.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for edgy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for edgy
Adjective
-
Capital expenditures, which are closely watched by investors who are worried about overspending, are expected to range between $175 billion to $185 billion in 2026.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
-
But Willie Brown, the former mayor and speaker was not worried that Newsom would overly burnish his own story in his book.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Fennell is a polarizing filmmaker, with a self-consciously provocative streak.—
Hannah Jocelyn,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
-
In her provocative new spin on Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel, the Oscar-winning filmmaker announces from the get-go that this isn’t your grandmother’s windswept Gothic romance.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Kansas sophomore guard Jamari McDowell actually didn’t have time to get nervous — or overthink his role — after learning freshman sensation Darryn Peterson would miss Monday’s game against Arizona because of flu-like symptoms.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Investors would understandably be nervous when both the CFO and the general counsel depart, according to Shivaram Rajgopal, an accounting professor at Columbia Business School.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That's partly correlation -- healthier people are more likely to work than sicker people -- but staying in the workplace can also help people stay sharp, according to Debra Whitman, chief public policy officer for AARP.—
Paige Winfield Cunningham The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The tension in a luge sled allows athletes to manipulate it just so, digging in the runners and steering with sharp precision around curves.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Fall-Off can sometimes feel simpatico and obvious, with mellifluously soulful tones that conjure an air of anxious nostalgia.—
Mosi Reeves,
Rolling Stone,
9 Feb. 2026
-
At the same time, consumers appeared less anxious about inflation.—
Benzinga,
Freep.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
SpaceX said on its launch page that residents in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties might experience one or more sonic booms during the launch, a phenomenon that has long upset residents and raised concerns about the booms’ effect on nearby endangered species.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Littler added that his girlfriend would often get upset when her father talked about owning a gun.—
Saul Pink,
San Antonio Express-News,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The clashes at the core of the superb screenplay, by the helmer and Doruntina Basha, receive trenchant reinforcement in the score.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Perhaps a better comparison for A$AP’s style isn’t a rhyme animal like Lamar, but a maximalist visionary like Travis Scott, who also seems more focused on colorful aural vibes than trenchant lyrical exegesis.—
Mosi Reeves,
Rolling Stone,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Stage’s version translates the already uneasy feelings of hearing acid house reduced to happy-go-lucky plastic into something out of an actual acid trip.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Bashar is on the left, his body slightly angled away, his face uneasy.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Edgy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/edgy. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
