jittery

To feel jittery is to have nervous energy that shows up in the body as restlessness, tension, or slight shaking. It is more physical than many similar words. A person who feels this way may have trembling hands, quick movements, a racing heart, or a sense that they cannot settle down.

The word often describes how someone feels before an important event, after drinking too much coffee, or during a stressful moment. If you say, "She was jittery before her presentation," you mean she was anxious and physically unsettled. The word can also describe something that moves in a shaky or uneven way, such as a jittery camera image or a jittery connection in a video call.

It can sometimes be linked with excitement, not only fear. For example, someone waiting for important news might feel jittery because their emotions are running high. In most cases, though, the word carries a slightly uncomfortable feeling, as if the body is too alert and cannot rest.

So the word is useful when you want to describe that uneasy mix of nervousness and physical shakiness. It works well for people, feelings, and sometimes for things that appear to shake or jump in an unsteady way.