the jitters

plural noun

informal
: a very nervous feeling
I always get (a bad case of) the jitters before I have to give a speech.

Examples of the jitters in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Walz hits Trump as fickle and clearly the jitters are past. Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024 The red ink gave investors the jitters and Disney's stock began to steadily decline in value. Caroline Reid, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2024 That further signaled to investors that the jitters over a U.S. recession, which contributed to the sharp global sell-off at the start of the month, are overblown. Karen Gilchrist,jenni Reid, CNBC, 16 Aug. 2024 By early afternoon the district said no damage was reported but the quake apparently triggered some real-life campus earthquake drills, adding to the jitters of the day. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2024 Sign up Favoured by those looking for ways to avoid the jitters, matcha contains a lower caffeine dose of around 70mg per cup, while a standard cup of coffee has anywhere between 100-140mg. Irenie Forshaw, The Week Uk, theweek, 5 Aug. 2024 Wiffen fought off the jitters to hold on to victory, setting a new Olympic record in the event with a time of 7 minutes, 38.19 seconds. Sean Gregory/nanterre, TIME, 31 July 2024 Their advice addresses all aspects of party-going and party-throwing, from dealing with the jitters that may go with preparing for a social event to saying a proper goodbye at night’s end. George Gurley, New York Times, 21 June 2024 For those looking to support their weight loss journey without the jitters, CalmLean may provide a soothing alternative. Robert James and, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2024

Dictionary Entries Near the jitters

Cite this Entry

“The jitters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20jitters. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!