nervous wreck
noun
informal
: a person who is very worried or nervous about something
Before the wedding the bride's father was a nervous wreck.
Examples of nervous wreck in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Final Destination movies merely magnify these commonplace anxieties and ramps them up to the nth degree, leaving you a nervous wreck in the process.
—
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2025
Jason arrives to drive Jax to the facility and Jax is a nervous wreck.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025
Alex is a nervous wreck who is drawn to avoidant women.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 18 Feb. 2025
Tennis: On the third day of the Australian Open, two Americans turned everyone in Rod Laver Arena into a nervous wreck, and Daniil Medvedev escaped an upset.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
Back then, and even now, the assumption is that any 20-year-old rookie entering the major leagues, especially one who didn’t speak English, would be quiet, a bit intimidated, often a nervous wreck.
—Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024
The body, in fact, is not dead at all, and belongs to a gabby, nervous wreck of a kid (Austin Abrams), who happens to be carrying four kilos of heroine in his book bag.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2024
Smart Skills Master the art of networking, from entrance to exit
4 steps to go from nervous wreck to networking master.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
But the headlines brought attention to Fleming’s hero, who compared favorably with his nervous wreck of a house guest.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2025
Jason arrives to drive Jax to the facility and Jax is a nervous wreck.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025
Alex is a nervous wreck who is drawn to avoidant women.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 18 Feb. 2025
Tennis: On the third day of the Australian Open, two Americans turned everyone in Rod Laver Arena into a nervous wreck, and Daniil Medvedev escaped an upset.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
Back then, and even now, the assumption is that any 20-year-old rookie entering the major leagues, especially one who didn’t speak English, would be quiet, a bit intimidated, often a nervous wreck.
—Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024
The body, in fact, is not dead at all, and belongs to a gabby, nervous wreck of a kid (Austin Abrams), who happens to be carrying four kilos of heroine in his book bag.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2024
Smart Skills Master the art of networking, from entrance to exit
4 steps to go from nervous wreck to networking master.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
But the headlines brought attention to Fleming’s hero, who compared favorably with his nervous wreck of a house guest.
—Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Nervous wreck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nervous%20wreck. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share