nervous

[ nur-vuhs ]

adjective

1. highly excitable; unnaturally or acutely uneasy or apprehensive:

   to become nervous under stress.

   Synonyms: timorous, timid, tense, neurotic, anxious

   Antonyms: bold, confident

2. of or relating to the nerves:

   nervous tension.

3. affecting the nerves:

   nervous diseases.

4. experiencing, characterized by, or originating in a nervous system disorder.
5. characterized by or attended with acute uneasiness or apprehension:

   a nervous moment for us all.

6. having or containing nerves.
7. sinewy or strong.
8. Archaic. vigorous or spirited.

nervous

/ ˈnɜːvəs /

adjective

1. very excitable or sensitive; highly strung
2. often foll by of apprehensive or worried

   I'm nervous of traffic

3. of, relating to, or containing nerves; neural

   nervous tissue

4. affecting the nerves or nervous tissue

   a nervous disease

5. archaic.
   active, vigorous, or forceful

Derived Forms

• ˈnervousness, noun
• ˈnervously, adverb

Other Words From

• nerv·ous·ly adverb
• nerv·ous·ness noun
• non·ner·vous adjective
• non·ner·vous·ly adverb
• o·ver·nerv·ous adjective
• o·ver·nerv·ous·ly adverb
• sem·i·nerv·ous adjective
• sem·i·nerv·ous·ly adverb
• un·nerv·ous adjective
• un·nerv·ous·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of nervous¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin nervōsus “sinewy,” equivalent to nerv(us) nerve + -ōsus -ous

Example Sentences

Salah was sitting at her feet holding a glass of water and a tablet, looking "nervous and panicky", she says.

From BBC

"They were worried, they were nervous."

From BBC

Like a lot of the people I've talked to, I'm feeling quite nervous about the future.

From Salon

I was nervous about that initially, but it ended up being monumentally helpful because you get to distinguish the factors that come together in the end a little bit more by depicting them chronologically.

From Los Angeles Times

Giving a stark summary of Raymond McDonald, his mother says: "He's got naff all. He's a bloody big liar. I've had two nervous breakdowns because of him."

From BBC

Related Words

• afraid
• agitated
• annoyed
• apprehensive
• concerned
• edgy
• fussy
• hesitant
• hysterical
• irritable
• jittery
• jumpy
• shaky
• shy
• skittish
• spooked
• tense
• timid
• uneasy
• uptight