antsy

English

WOTD – 2 April 2010

Etymology

From ants +‎ -y, as in ants in one's pants. First noted as a rural Southern USA figure of speech in the early 20th century.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈæn.tsi/
Audio (AU) (file)

Adjective

antsy (comparative antsier, superlative antsiest)

(slang) restless, apprehensive and fidgety
- 1990, John Updike, Rabbit at Rest:
  The children were antsy and worried […]

Related terms

Translations

restless, apprehensive and fidgety

Armenian: անհանգիստ (hy) (anhangist)
Dutch: ongerust (nl), opgewonden (nl), rusteloos (nl)
Estonian: rahutu, ärevil
Finnish: levoton (fi)
French: agité (fr), inquiet (fr)
German: nervös (de), zappelig (de), kribbelig, hibbelig (de)
Italian: nervosetto m
Portuguese: inquieto (pt)
Russian: беспоко́йный (ru) (bespokójnyj)

See also

toey

Anagrams

-nasty, Ansty, Nasty, Santy, Tansy, Yants, nasty, tansy

Malagasy

Noun

antsy

knife

Derived terms

antsibe (“cleaver; axe; hatchet; billhook”)
antsiben' Andriamanitra (“rainbow”)
antsifotsy (“sword”)
antsipika (“pocket knife; penknife”)

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