the act of being edgy is basically teenage kids that think theyre cool. hardcore kids seem to think theyre the fucking edgyest things everr.

Applied to books, music, or even haircuts which tend to challenge societal norms and reveal the dark side. Cutting edge.

Daria - "As far as I can make out, edgy occurs when middlebrow, middle-aged profiteers are looking to suck the energy -- not to mention the spending money -- out of the "youth culture." So they come up with this fake concept of seeming to be dangerous when every move they make is the result of market research and a corporate master plan."

Adjective. Taking coolness to its extreme and generally beyond the realm of actual possibility, while at the same time seemingly unaware of how ridiculous it is.

Distinctions from similar words:
* Mary-Sue: This is distinct from mary-sue because characters generally have "flaws", but which end up making them cooler as opposed to actually flawed.
* Try-hard: Edgy characters go for diversity in their coolness instead of a specific theme. An edgy character is much more diversely cool, whereas a try-hard goes for something specific, like "only using knives" or "hates color because he/she is goth".
* Campy: Edgy things are either unaware of their ridiculousness or actively try to explain it away. In contrast, campy things are totally aware of how ridiculous they are and actively embrace it.

1-pushing the envelope
2- to be way out there

adjective describing someone in a tense state of mind; nervous; apprehensive

Usually referencing the act of or being of a person that is 'trying' to be or may 'be' on the cutting-edge of something specific, or in general (very obscure music, extravagantly violent Asian horror movies, etc.) to be cool and ahead of the norm, and is usually used as an insult in most contexts.

Most people who get plastered with this label in a truthful manner, and not in an insult-like manner usually of which is improperly describing someones tastes in said things, are 'kids' or in general people who psychology have pushed themselves into a funnel of wanting to be part of something different because they can't fit in to anything else. Or to build a pseudo-ego to have something to be proud of, when in reality it is just making them look very dumb.