jittery

adjective

jit·​tery ˈji-tə-rē 

1

: suffering from the jitters

2

: marked by jittering movements

jitteriness

ˈji-tə-rē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• excitable
• fiddle-footed
• flighty
• fluttery
• high-strung
• hyper
• hyperactive
• hyperexcitable
• hyperkinetic
• jumpy
• nervous
• skittery
• skittish
• spasmodic
• spooky

Examples of jittery in a Sentence

I always get jittery when I have to give a speech.

The latest economic news has made some investors jittery.

Recent Examples on the Web

It’s been nearly, well, 28 years since Danny Boyle gave zombie cinema a jittery digital makeover while irking the Romero faithful with his sprinting hordes of agile infected. —A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 20 May 2025

If the pressure persists, tech, particularly hardware, could face a squeeze — from jittery investors to rising borrowing costs to potentially slower product cycles. —Anisha Sircar, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025

The other side of the gold rally Gold futures are trading at another record on Thursday — above $3,080 an ounce in New York — as jittery investors seek out a safer bet amid President Trump’s escalating trade war threats. —Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

And signs a jittery public on the economic outlook are mounting. —Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for jittery

• glittery