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adjective

kribbelig

jittery

Definition & meaning

kribbelig is an adjective with two closely related meanings:

  1. Tingly, prickly, or causing a pins-and-needles sensation
    It describes a physical sensation, often in the hands, feet, or skin.

    • Meine Hände fühlen sich kribbelig an. — “My hands feel tingly.”
    • Ein kribbeliges Gefühl läuft durch meinen Körper. — “A tingling feeling runs through my body.”

  2. Restless, fidgety, or excited with anticipation
    It can describe a person who feels nervous, energetic, or unable to sit still, especially before an important or exciting event.

    • Vor dem Auftritt war ich ganz kribbelig. — “I was really nervous and excited before the performance.”
    • Die Kinder sind heute besonders kribbelig. — “The children are especially restless today.”

Depending on the context, kribbelig can therefore mean either physically “tingly” or emotionally “restless and excited.”

Grammar & Word origin

kribbelig is an adjective. It can be used:

  • Predicatively: Die Haut ist kribbelig. — “The skin feels tingly.”
  • Attributively: ein kribbeliges Gefühl — “a tingling feeling”
  • Adverbially: Die Kinder warteten kribbelig auf das Ergebnis. — “The children waited restlessly for the result.”

It is formed from the verb kribbeln (“to tingle,” “to crawl,” or “to feel restless”) and the adjective-forming suffix -ig . The verb kribbeln is expressive in origin and imitates a small, crawling or prickling sensation.

The comparative forms are:

  • kribbeliger — more tingly/restless
  • am kribbeligsten — the most tingly/restless

Synonyms & antonyms

Physical sensation

  • prickelnd — “tingly” or “sparkling”; often suggests a pleasant, lively sensation, whereas kribbelig can also describe an irritating pins-and-needles feeling.
  • pelzig — “numb” or “furry-feeling”; describes reduced or altered sensitivity rather than tingling itself.
  • taub — “numb”; indicates a loss of sensation and is usually stronger and less tingling than kribbelig.

Emotional state

  • unruhig — “restless” or “uneasy”; focuses more on a lack of calm than on excited anticipation.
  • aufgeregt — “excited” or “nervous”; emphasizes strong emotional agitation.
  • hibbelig — colloquial “fidgety” or “restless”; usually describes someone who cannot sit still.
  • nervös — “nervous”; generally more negative and anxiety-related than kribbelig.

Possible antonyms include:

  • ruhig — “calm” or “quiet”
  • entspannt — “relaxed”
  • gelassen — “composed” or “unruffled”

For the physical meaning, gefühllos (“without sensation” or “numb”) can sometimes function as a contrast, although it is not a direct antonym in every context.

Common phrases & collocations

  • ein kribbeliges Gefühl — a tingling feeling
  • ein kribbeliges Gefühl im Bauch — butterflies or an excited feeling in one’s stomach
  • kribbelig werden — to become restless or excited
  • ganz kribbelig sein — to be very restless, nervous, or excited
  • kribbelige Hände — tingling hands
  • vor Aufregung kribbelig sein — to be restless or excited from anticipation

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Examples

Vor dem wichtigen Gespräch war sie kribbelig.adjective

She was jittery before the important conversation.

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