jitter

1 of 2

noun

jit·​ter ˈji-tər How to pronounce jitter (audio)
1
jitters ˈji-tərz How to pronounce jitter (audio) plural : a sense of panic or extreme nervousness
had a bad case of the jitters before his performance
2
: the state of mind or the movement of one that jitters
3
: irregular random movement (as of a pointer or an image on a television screen)
also : vibratory motion

jitter

2 of 2

verb

jittered; jittering; jitters

intransitive verb

1
: to make continuous fast repetitive movements
2
: to be nervous or act in a nervous way

Synonyms

Noun

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Examples of jitter in a Sentence

Noun always got the jitters right before a test
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
With momentum clearly with the Blue Raiders out of the break, the stifling Panthers defense returned as the first quarter jitters ended. — Brian Fabry, Boston Herald, 15 Mar. 2025 On Thursday, the S&P 500 dropped into correction territory, largely in response to investor jitters surrounding Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs aimed at some of America’s closest allies. — Mike Lillis, The Hill, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
Wall Street jitters over the White House economic policy continued again, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average was off by more than 300 points in morning trading. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2025 This means polling averages can change by a few decimal places day to day — and probabilities may jitter by around a point, which cascades down into uncertainty in our model. — G. Elliott Morris, ABC News, 11 June 2024 See All Example Sentences for jitter

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1931, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of jitter was in 1929

Rhymes for jitter

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Browse Nearby Words

jitter
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Cite this Entry

“Jitter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jitter. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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