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

• worried
• anxious
• upset
• uneasy
• apprehensive
• troubled

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

The odds of a recession may be falling, but states appear to be betting that corporate leaders are still nervous. —Scott Cohn, CNBC, 12 July 2025

Then there's the real world, which is entirely different, so in reality people have nothing to be nervous about. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 12 July 2025

Only one apartment; huge, but richly furnished, and the nervous owner wanted $200 per month. —John Updike, New Yorker, 11 July 2025

If Mahomes is entering the season in a different mode and plays that way throughout the whole year, opposing defenses should be nervous. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025

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

Rhymes for nervous

• nervus
• disservice
• preservice
• interservice

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