jittery

adjective

jit·​tery ˈji-tə-rē How to pronounce jittery (audio)
1
: suffering from the jitters
2
: marked by jittering movements
jitteriness noun

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
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.
John Bardeen, Leon Cooper, and John Robert Schrieffer figured out that at low temperatures, a material’s jittery atomic lattice quiets down, so more delicate effects come through. Charlie Wood, WIRED, 12 Jan. 2025 In the fall of 1856, a jittery, fractious republic girded itself for a presidential election that would decide its fate. Matthew Karp, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024 This will likely do little to calm a jittery public. Michael Wilson, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024 But French people are likely to face uncertainty about pension payments and tax rates, as well as jittery financial markets. Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for jittery 

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of jittery was in 1931

Dictionary Entries Near jittery

Cite this Entry

“Jittery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jittery. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

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