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

• aflutter
• antsy
• anxious
• atwitter
• dithery
• edgy
• goosey
• het up
• hinky [slang]
• hung up
• ill at ease
• insecure
• jittery
• jumpy
• nervy
• perturbed
• queasy
• queazy
• tense
• troubled
• uneasy
• unquiet
• upset
• uptight
• worried

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

Silence and a few nervous giggles among the roomies followed in their Nashville rental. —Chris Jordan, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024

With the help of the director Steve H. Broadnax III, Parks has constructed a dizzying production that weaves a story of Luce and Mike’s backstage wrestling with needy actors, nervous backers and their own diverging desires with scenes from rehearsals of their play in progress. —Imani Perry Janina Edwards Krish Seenivasan Devin Murphy, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Somehow, the music matches the nervous, revolutionary energy on screen: the unlikely sight of an angry Brooklyn patrolled by troops, hundreds of people clashing in the streets, a suicide bomber putting an abrupt punctuation to it all. —Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Hippos and impalas acting nervous because of the disruption in their routines 2017: Some 75% of observed species in a zoo engaging in their evening or nighttime behaviors. —Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024

Another snap reveals Roy looking nervous as Fuecoco peeks out from behind him to gaze upon a truly massive sandwich. —EW.com, 10 Apr. 2024

The inversion of the spread may signal that nervous investors are clamoring to get hold of spot gold now, as protection against potential turmoil. —Mark Burton, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2024

British Airways also offer tips for nervous fliers to consider in flight. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024

Ahead of each season, the Reluctant Traveler production team scouts out possible locations for the Emmy-winning actor, comedian and nervous globe-trotter to visit. —Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Mar. 2024

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

• central nervous system
• autonomic nervous system
• nervous system
• parasympathetic nervous system
• nervous energy
• peripheral nervous system
• sympathetic nervous system
• nervous wreck
• nervous nellie
• nervous breakdown
• nervous nelly

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