jittery

adjective

jit·​tery ˈji-tə-rē 

1

: suffering from the jitters

2

: marked by jittering movements

jitteriness

ˈji-tə-rē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of jittery

• excitable
• nervous

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

On Wednesday, jittery neighbors said the near disaster is definitely keeping them on edge. — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 8 July 2026

When Micron’s earnings report came out after markets closed on Wednesday, the story was the same as other times markets have been jittery about AI. — Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Outside of a jittery first half against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Marsch’s Canada have consistently pushed the tempo in the World Cup. — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 24 June 2026

Vincent pursues Jimmy like a homing missile, but the young man is jittery and restless in his own skin up against Jimmy’s shameless self-assuredness. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for jittery

• glittery