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jittery

/ˈdʒɪɾəri/
/ˈdʒɪtəri/
IPA guide

Jittery can describe jerky or nervous actions. If you consume a lot of caffeine, you might appear jittery.

If a running back is darting around quickly and unpredictably, making herky-jerky movements, he's jittery. Also, jittery applies to people who feel nervous or tense. If you're worried about a test, you'll feel jittery. During the last minute of a basketball game, some players get jittery. Synonyms for this nervous kind of jittery are edgy, high-strung, jumpy, nervy, and uptight.

Definitions of jittery
  1. adjective
    characterized by jerky movements
    “a jittery ride”
  2. adjective
    in a very tense state
    tense
    in or of a state of physical or nervous tension
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