1
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
he was nervous about how he would do at the varsity basketball tryouts
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
a nervous silence filled the room as the teacher handed out the graded exams
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in excitable
easily excited by nature
a nervous sort of person, she's completely thrown by anything unexpected
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nervous
Weirdly brassy dye job aside, Clarke is impressively natural as Alex’s easy smiles and superficial charm give way to flop sweat and nervous tics.
—
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
Someone forgot to remind the clearly nervous Timothy to smile!
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
When it was announced last year that Chanel was without a creative director, people across the industry looked to the house in nervous expectation.
—Nathan Heller, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025
But Fox was still nervous to even reach out.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nervous
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
Someone forgot to remind the clearly nervous Timothy to smile!
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025
When it was announced last year that Chanel was without a creative director, people across the industry looked to the house in nervous expectation.
—Nathan Heller, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2025
But Fox was still nervous to even reach out.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nervous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nervous
Adjective
-
Emma Donoghue’s Room, which continues to haunt worried parents everywhere?—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
-
There also are those worried about player and staff safety as rowdy revelers stomp onto the field.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This uneasy detente between Matty and Olympia drives much of the rest of this episode’s plot.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Wichita police are asking for the public’s help identifying a woman reportedly taken by force early Sunday morning — an incident that has left neighbors uneasy.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The text is excitable and wayward, while many of the photographs are dramatically dull.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
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Pups with excitable and reactive temperaments were especially responsive to on-screen content, suggesting that many canines may interpret moving images much like real-world events.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Hailey, usually the more anxious one, was struck when her typically calm husband brought it up first.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
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Volunteers became depressed, irritable, anxious, and withdrawn.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The behind-the-scenes drama of this comedy-horror film sounds a lot more stressful and tense than anything in the film (multiple actors hated the material, played hooky from set, and disavowed the final product).—
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
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But a lot was riding on the success of Back to the Future for Fox, who was caught in the middle of the tense confrontation.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Madison is upset that Joe doesn’t seem that affected or eager to comfort her; meanwhile, Joe’s internally feeling like that one picture of Nicole Kidman.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
15 Oct. 2025
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The Barbz were upset with Nicki’s cancellation, and some pleaded with her to take a break from social media.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Wicker Man boasts a conclusion that is one of the most haunting and disturbing climaxes to a horror film in any era, but the inclusion of Lee as the wicked Lord Summerisle is a casting coup.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
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What started as a search for wrapping paper led to a disturbing discovery that left her questioning her relationship with her mother.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Allsup, crouched in a small crate, looked quietly apprehensive.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
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Waymo, Tesla face challenging regulatory environment Beyond technical challenges, autonomous-vehicle firms must navigate a patchwork of regulations while also reassuring community leaders who might be apprehensive about driverless vehicles.—
Chris Kirkham,
Nashville Tennessean,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nervous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nervous. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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