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

After two jittery routines to start her competition, Claire triumphed with a stick to rocket ahead of Blakely and Carey. — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026

The trove includes video footage from a military plane that shows jittery blips of light bouncing around in the sky. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026

Chef—the character is nameless, and seemingly unknowable—is a mentor and a foil to Tony, his lined face and graying beard highlighting Tony’s youth, his composure framing Tony’s jittery ambition. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026

Holland’s jittery, earnest, winsome take on the iconic 64-year-old comic iconic was instantly likable, radiating teen-geek charisma. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for jittery

• glittery