jumpily
1
7.2
- adverb
- /ˈdʒʌmpɪli/
- He scans the garden jumpily.
Examples
-
"Ito-sensei said that?" Ashida snickered jumpily and inhaled on the cigarette.
Fiction book (1990) -
The puppy moved jumpily when it heard the loud noises outside.
-
She shifted jumpily in her seat as the movie's suspense built.
-
After the sudden thunder, he looked around jumpily, startled by the sounds.
Synonyms
1
5.2
With sudden, uneven movements that are not smooth
1
7.0
Someone or something moves in a nervous, jumpy way
1
7.8
In a sudden, rough way that shocks or surprises
1
6.8
With light quick shaking movements like a small bird flapping its wings
1
8.6
In a trembling voice because of fear or strong feeling
1
8.9
With sudden, unsteady movements that make you lose balance
1
7.0
In a nervous way with small quick movements
1
7.4
In a way that shows discomfort or nervousness by moving restlessly
How Nervous
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word jumpily comes from the simple verb jump, which means 'to move suddenly', plus the ending -y that makes jumpy and -ly that makes it an adverb. Think of someone ready to 'jump' at a small sound; that's why jumpily means acting in a nervous, easily startled way.