edgy
- 1Fashionably bold, unconventional, or daring in style, often with a tough or dark image; at the forefront of a trend.
The singer swapped her pop image for an edgy look of leather, tattoos and smudged eyeliner.
The club drew the city's edgiest crowd, all ripped denim and attitude.
Similarbold, daring, unconventional, hip, alternative
Oppositeconventional, mainstream, conservative, tame
Note
It attaches to a look, a reputation or a point of view, as in an edgy street-life perspective, and among fans of the style it is a compliment. Jess Cartner-Morley, writing in The Guardian in 2015, finds the edgiest fashion where big brands send their cool-hunters. Unlike the shock-value meaning, it praises a style or image rather than content that offends.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact
- Attributed observation. theguardian.com
- 2Tense, nervous, or irritable; uneasy and quick to react.
Investors grew edgy as the company kept delaying its earnings report.
Alone in the dark house, she was even edgier than she had expected.
UsageUsed of people and moods: feel edgy, get edgy before a test, investors grew edgy.
- 3Pushing the limits of what is acceptable or in good taste, sometimes deliberately trying to shock or provoke.
The comedian's edgy material about religion drew both laughs and walkouts.
Some of his edgier posts about the funeral cost him two sponsors.
Oppositetame, safe, bland, inoffensive
Less common meaning
- 4Having sharp or prominent edges or outlines; in art, having forms outlined too sharply.
Practice
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Origin
From edge + -y; compare German eckig ("angular, edgy").
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
- Edgy is formed from edge + -y. en.wiktionary.org
- German eckig, glossed as “angular, edgy,” is a comparison for edgy. en.wiktionary.org