twitchy

English

Etymology

From twitch +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtwɪt͡ʃi/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪtʃi

Adjective

twitchy (comparative twitchier, superlative twitchiest)

1. susceptible to twitching a lot.
   • 2021 September 22, Caroline Siede, “Dear Evan Hansen is a misfire on just about every level”, in AV Club‎^[1]:

     For the most part, however, his hunched, twitchy, wide-eyed take doesn’t seem like a believable portrait of social awkwardness so much as just a forced, awkward performance.

2. (figuratively) irritable, cranky, nervous, anxious, worried
   • 2011, Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France‎^[2]:

     Johnson's contract expires in November, and four weeks as memorable for scandals off the pitch as any achievements on it will do little to appease the notoriously twitchy committee-men at the Rugby Football Union.

   • 2023 August 9, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Disinterested and dishonest”, in RAIL, number 989, page 3:

     Railways don't normally feature, but Conservative MPs are getting twitchy about this nationwide local issue.

Translations

inclined to twitch a lot

• German: unruhig (de)
• Maori: tūpanapana

irritable or cranky

• German: nervös (de), reizbar (de)