nervous

adjective

ner·​vous ˈnər-vəs 

1

a

: timid, apprehensive

a nervous smile

nervous of strangers

b

: easily excited or irritated : jumpy

… so nervous that he had to be escorted outside court to vomit …

—Kevin Johnson and Andrea Stone

c

: of or relating to the nerves

also : originating in or affected by the nerves

nervous energy

a nervous twitch

2

a

: tending to produce nervousness or agitation : uneasy

a nervous situation

His face was twisted in nervous anticipation.

—Dagoberto Gilb

b

: appearing or acting unsteady, erratic, or irregular

—used of inanimate things

… climbed carefully into his nervous kayak …

—Farley Mowat

3

: of, relating to, or composed of neurons

4

: marked by strength of thought, feeling, or style : spirited

a vibrant tight-packed nervous style of writing

5

archaic : sinewy, strong

nervously adverb

nervousness noun

Synonyms

• aflutter
• antsy
• anxious
• atwitter
• dithery
• edgy
• goosey
• het up
• hinky [slang]
• hung up
• ill at ease
• insecure
• jittery
• jumpy
• nervy
• perturbed
• queasy
• queazy
• tense
• troubled
• uneasy
• unquiet
• upset
• uptight
• worried

Choose the Right Synonym for nervous

vigorous, energetic, strenuous, lusty, nervous mean having or showing great vitality and force.

vigorous further implies showing no signs of depletion or diminishing of freshness or robustness.

as vigorous as a youth half his age

energetic suggests a capacity for intense activity.

an energetic campaigner

strenuous suggests a preference for coping with the arduous or the challenging.

the strenuous life on an oil rig

lusty implies exuberant energy and capacity for enjoyment.

a lusty appetite for life

nervous suggests especially the forcibleness and sustained effectiveness resulting from mental vigor.

full of nervous energy

Examples of nervous in a Sentence

She is nervous about her job interview.

All this waiting is making me nervous.

He gave a nervous glance at the clock.

His nervous mother is always worrying that something terrible will happen to him.

He has a nervous disposition.

It was a very nervous situation.

She suffers from a nervous disorder.

He walked around with a nervous twitch.

He had a nervous habit of pulling at his hair.

The boy has a lot of nervous energy.

Recent Examples on the Web

Here’s how to win over nervous neighbors March 5, 2024 Blazek is not alone in wanting her kitchen to be efficient. —Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024

The cat brushed against Ms. Suu Kyi, threading her legs in a nervous pattern, then slinked behind sandbags. —Hannah Beech Adam Ferguson, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024

In contrast, many other European leaders have long been nervous that a second Trump presidency would mean decreased U.S. support for Poland’s eastern neighbor Ukraine and for the NATO military alliance. —Reuters, NBC News, 18 Apr. 2024

Rodriguez said the witness seemed unwell and nervous during the interview. —Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024

Havilah Fowler, an 18-year-old barista, was nervous about filing her first-ever tax return. —Julie Zauzmer Weil, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024

It was developed in 2017—five years after Tinder and Hinge launched, when people were getting nervous about the effects of dating apps. —Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2024

Curious and nervous, my kiddos say goodbye to the elephants in their own way. —Tanvi Chheda, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2024

Silence and a few nervous giggles among the roomies followed in their Nashville rental. —Chris Jordan, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French nervus, nervous, borrowed from Latin nervōsus "full of tendons, sinewy, tough, vigorous (of a person or literary style)," from nervus "sinew, muscle, nerve entry 1" + -ōsus -ous

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Phrases Containing nervous

• autonomic nervous system
• central nervous system
• nervous breakdown
• nervous energy
• nervous nellie
• nervous nelly
• nervous system
• nervous wreck
• parasympathetic nervous system
• peripheral nervous system
• sympathetic nervous system

Kids Definition

nervous

adjective

ner·​vous ˈnər-vəs 

1

a

: of, relating to, or composed of neurons

nervous tissue

b

: of or relating to the nerves

c

: having its source in or affected by the nerves

nervous energy

2

a

: easily excited or irritated

a nervous person

b

: timid, fearful

a nervous smile

3

: causing uncomfortable feelings

a nervous situation

nervously adverb

nervousness noun

Medical Definition

nervous

adjective

ner·​vous ˈnər-vəs 

1

: of, relating to, or composed of neurons

the nervous layer of the eye

2

a

: of or relating to the nerves

also : originating in or affected by the nerves

nervous energy

b

: easily excited or irritated

nervously adverb

nervousness noun