twitchy

adjective

ˈtwi-chē 

twitchier; twitchiest

1

: marked by twitches or jerking movements : tending to twitch

Oliver did not think he would be able to sleep, but he did sleep—a restless, twitchy sleep filled with hideous dreams.

—Eva Ibbotson

Round-shouldered yet angular, he walked in a twitchy manner that recalled a spider, his oily hair swinging about his face.

—J. K. Rowling

2

: nervously on edge or fretful

This revelation was an incredible relief to those of us who get a little twitchy at the thought of making pasta …

—Jane Daniels Lear

There was action every minute, and so much momentum carrying the story forward that until I finished it, I was in a sort of twitchy agony if I got stuck doing anything else.

—Eric Konigsberg

Synonyms of twitchy

• fidgety
• squirmy
• wiggly
• upset
• shaking
• worried
• nervous
• anxious
• antsy

Examples of twitchy in a Sentence

examining the twitchy little poodle was a challenge for the vet

Recent Examples on the Web

Every time the twitchy little bug stops for a moment, Snaggletooth focuses to prepare a pounce, only to be thwarted as the fatty snack buzzes to another spot in the nest. — Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026

Ludwig is the twitchy, neurotic, charming character that Mitchell was born to play. — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026

There’s also a twitchy paranoia at play, since Ethan and Ivy, as outsiders, inevitably spark a turf war as various warring factions try to figure out who is killing their men. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026

Much like a human pursued through the night by ravenous walkers, the eighth season of The Walking Dead rounded home twitchy, exhausted, and out of ideas. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for twitchy

• bitchy
• itchy
• pitchy