nervous Nellie
nervous Nel·lie
noun, often capitalized 1st N \-ˈne-lē\ plural nervous Nellies
Definition of NERVOUS NELLIE
: a timid or worrisome person
Variants of NERVOUS NELLIE
nervous Nel·lie or nervous Nel·ly \-ˈne-lē\
Examples of NERVOUS NELLIE
- My sister is a real nervous Nellie when it comes to flying.
- <many new parents are nervous Nellies when it comes to the health of their babies>
Origin of NERVOUS NELLIE
from the name Nellie
First Known Use: 1926
Related to NERVOUS NELLIE
- Synonyms
- handwringer, worrier, worrywart, nervous wreck
Rhymes with NERVOUS NELLIE
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