as in anxiety
a state of nervousness marked by sudden jerky movements
the edginess of the basketball players in the moments before the start of the tournament was apparent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 edginess
Feeling hesitant about periwinkle’s edginess?
—
Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 29 Jan. 2026
High-waist black leather pants and a crop top add edginess, while the trench effortlessly pulls the look together.
—Samantha Brash, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026
Besides playing with his usual defensive edginess, Larsson chipped in 16 points (7-for-9 shooting), nine assists, six rebounds and a steal and twice managed to infuriate normally mild-manner veteran DeMar DeRozan, who body checked him to the ground on one sequence and clotheslined him on another.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
To generate relevancy and influence, social-media algorithms demand spectacle, conflict, and edginess.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
The raw hem adds a touch of edginess that’ll spice up even a pair of white sneakers.
—Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 14 Nov. 2025
Carpenter, eye-catching in a glittery fringe dress, couldn’t help but exude a certain edginess onstage at the Opry House, even if the 26-year-old left out some of her favorite swear words.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
Borrowing from the flamboyance of the New Romantics, the edginess of punks and the melancholic themes in their music, goth makeup was dark, vampiric, and vaguely dangerous—an aesthetic music fans copied when gathering at goth haunts like the Batcave in London.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 8 Oct. 2025
What these pants add to the look is a bit of edginess.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 8 Aug. 2025
Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 29 Jan. 2026
High-waist black leather pants and a crop top add edginess, while the trench effortlessly pulls the look together.
—Samantha Brash, InStyle, 28 Jan. 2026
Besides playing with his usual defensive edginess, Larsson chipped in 16 points (7-for-9 shooting), nine assists, six rebounds and a steal and twice managed to infuriate normally mild-manner veteran DeMar DeRozan, who body checked him to the ground on one sequence and clotheslined him on another.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
To generate relevancy and influence, social-media algorithms demand spectacle, conflict, and edginess.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
The raw hem adds a touch of edginess that’ll spice up even a pair of white sneakers.
—Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 14 Nov. 2025
Carpenter, eye-catching in a glittery fringe dress, couldn’t help but exude a certain edginess onstage at the Opry House, even if the 26-year-old left out some of her favorite swear words.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
Borrowing from the flamboyance of the New Romantics, the edginess of punks and the melancholic themes in their music, goth makeup was dark, vampiric, and vaguely dangerous—an aesthetic music fans copied when gathering at goth haunts like the Batcave in London.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 8 Oct. 2025
What these pants add to the look is a bit of edginess.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for edginess
Noun
-
Our cousins just over the border in Wisconsin kept up a steady stream of taunts, trash-talking the Bears and causing us all a lot of anxiety as the minutes ticked by.—
Erendira Rendon,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Experts say exercise during pregnancy and after birth can help lower anxiety, improve sleep, and boost your mood.—
Hannah Silverman,
Parents,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Adding to investor unease, even companies long seen as the prime beneficiaries of the AI boom are showing signs of fatigue.—
Brody Ford,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
-
California Democrats in Congress have stressed that the state’s elections are safe and reliable, but also started to express unease about upcoming election interference by the administration.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The social media giant's guidance offset worries about its sky-high spending on artificial intelligence.—
,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Keogh said that access is a security worry because people in the indictment include citizens of communist China, an American rival.—
Steve Patterson,
Florida Times-Union,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And there have been nerves about AI eating into software’s market share for a while.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
On March 9, Avry Jo, who is now 4, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a highly aggressive cancer of the nerves that typically occurs within the first few years of life.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Gentry invoices Hanceville for his team’s overtime, but tensions are showing.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The event took place in Mexico City and occurred as ICE tensions were heating up in Los Angeles.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
People who are sensitive to caffeine may want to limit themselves to just a cup or two of caffeinated coffee or tea per day to avoid side effects like sleeping issues and jitteriness.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Four Sigmatic coffee contains less caffeine to help prevent jitteriness and energy crashes.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Conference Board economist Dana Peterson noted these state indexes have a history of statistical jumpiness.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
30 Dec. 2025
-
His jumpiness in the pocket, decision-making and lack of deep passes are a cause for concern, potentially.—
Chase Gemes,
Kansas City Star,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Analysts and former diplomats told CNN that successive British governments have failed to strike the correct balance on China, resulting in a policy characterized by mistrust, skittishness and incoherence.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
-
But their skittishness and brutality are qualities associated with fear, not resolve.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Edginess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/edginess. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
