Meaning & use
I am on edge
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
feeling nervous, worried, or easily annoyed, especially because of stress or waiting.
Grammar: Used after 'be' or 'feel': I am on edge / I feel on edge. It describes a temporary state.
Patterns
- be on edge
- feel on edge
- be on edge about something
I am on edge because the exam results come out today.
She has been on edge all week waiting for the phone call.
He gets on edge when he has too much coffee.
Common combinations
- on edge about
- I am on edge about the interview tomorrow.
- set someone's teeth on edge
- That loud scraping noise sets my teeth on edge.
- a bit on edge
- Sorry, I'm a bit on edge today.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nervous
- More general; can describe a permanent personality or a temporary feeling.
- tense
- Focuses on the body or atmosphere being tight and not relaxed.
- jittery
- Informal; suggests small, restless movements from nervousness.
- anxious
- Stronger and more medical; often about worry that lasts a long time.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: I am on edge or on the edge?
I am on edge vs on the edge
'On the edge' usually means physically at the border of something, like a cliff. 'On edge' without 'the' is the idiom for feeling nervous.
Practice
Choose the best sentence.
Choose one answer.
'On edge' is a fixed idiom meaning nervous, and 'because of' explains the reason. 'On edge of the table' would need 'the edge of the table' to mean a physical position.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “I am on edge”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.