Definition of nervous
2 : marked by strength of thought, feeling, or style : spirited a vibrant tight-packed nervous style of writing
3 : of, relating to, or composed of neurons
4a : of or relating to the nerves; also : originating in or affected by the nerves nervous energy a nervous twitchb : easily excited or irritated : jumpy … so nervous that he had to be escorted outside court to vomit … — Kevin Johnson and Andrea Stonec : timid, apprehensive a nervous smile nervous of strangers
5a : tending to produce nervousness or agitation : uneasy a nervous situation His face was twisted in nervous anticipation. — Dagoberto Gilbb : appearing or acting unsteady, erratic, or irregular —used of inanimate things … climbed carefully into his nervous kayak … — Farley Mowat
nervously
adverbnervousness
nounExplore Merriam-Webster
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 of nervous from the Web
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Episode 9—A nervous Inauguration Day Arrives Episode 10—Frank draws a red line.
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Hill said Layman seemed nervous early but shook that off pretty quickly.
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The uncertainty has made some investors more nervous about getting into the industry.
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But those advocating changes to the justice system are nervous.
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Guillain-Barre syndrome is a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system.
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Brain and central nervous system (CNS) tumors are the third-most common cancers among adolescents and young adults, ages 15-39, according to the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA).
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His refusal to explicitly endorse the principle may rattle U.S. allies who were already nervous that Washington won't come to their defense in the event of an attack.
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But Republican officials grew nervous after Mr. Quist, 69, caught fire with progressive activists, who eventually helped him raise over $6 million, narrowing the funding disparity in the race.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nervous'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
14th Century
First Known Use of nervous
14th century
Synonym Discussion of nervous
NERVOUS Defined for English Language Learners
nervous
playDefinition of nervous for English Language Learners
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: having or showing feelings of being worried and afraid about what might happen
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: often or easily becoming worried and afraid about what might happen
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: causing someone to feel worried and afraid : making someone nervous
NERVOUS Defined for Kids
nervous
playDefinition of nervous for Students
1 : having or showing feelings of worry, fear, or anxiety Having to give a speech makes me nervous.
2 : easily becoming worried, frightened, or anxious She's a nervous driver.
3 : of, relating to, or made up of nerves or nerve cells nervous tissue
nervously
adverbnervousness
nounMedical Dictionary
nervous
playMedical Definition of nervous
1: of, relating to, or composed of neurons the nervous layer of the eye
2a: of or relating to the nerves; also : originating in or affected by the nerves nervous energyb: easily excited or irritated
nervously
adverbnervousness
nounLearn More about nervous
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See words that rhyme with nervous Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for nervous Spanish Central: Translation of nervous Nglish: Translation of nervous for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of nervous for Arabic speakers
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