nervous

adjective

ner·vous | \ ˈnər-vəs

Definition of nervous

1a : 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

2a : 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

Other Words from nervous Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about nervous

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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

Tish revealed that Danielle was a little nervous before the big chop. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "Danielle Brooks of “Orange Is the New Black” Debuted a New Haircut on Instagram," 30 Oct. 2018 Americans are still nervous about Egypt and the whole region. — Klara Glowczewska, Town & Country, "Can Egypt Convince the World That It Is Starting Over?," 19 Mar. 2019 After a nervous start, Germany's influence on the game began to grow. — SI.com, "Germany 0-1 Mexico: Reigning Champions Stunned by Magnificent El Tri in World Cup Opener," 17 June 2018 After a nervous start, Germany's influence on the game began to grow. — Joe Marcovitch, Pro Soccer USA, "Germany 0-1 Mexico: Reigning champions stunned by magnificent El Tri in World Cup opener," 17 June 2018 There was no sign of an outline of an agreement under which North Korea would scale back or abandon its nuclear weapons program, and Kim appeared nervous about his personal safety and about the integrity of any long-term U.S. security guarantees. — Matt Stiles, latimes.com, "Trump pulls out of planned nuclear summit, says he will be 'waiting' if North Korea changes its approach," 24 May 2018 The decisions that often make me the most nervous are the ones with a sense of permanence, things that are really hard to understand or fully know the scale of, like the exterior finish on a house. — Joanna Saltz, House Beautiful, "5 Interior Designers Reveal the Risks That Could've Failed Spectacularly—And How They Survived," 11 Mar. 2019 Abensur got me making risotto long before cooking-show demagogues made many a home cook too nervous to try. — Julia Tausch, Bon Appetit, "'The Cranks Bible' Is the Only Vegetarian Cookbook I'll Ever Need," 13 June 2018 Knitting has been a wonderful way to channel my nervous energy into something tactile and physical. — Talia Abbas, SELF, "11 Wellness Things Our Editors Tried and Loved This Month," 1 Feb. 2019

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.