nervier; nerviest
Synonyms
Examples of nervy in a Sentence
a nervy performance in the play-offs
a nervy film director who's not afraid to take risks
The passengers were restless and nervy after the long flight.
Too much coffee makes me nervy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Practically the entire premiere is a set piece powered by Temple’s nervy panic, pivoting from the school fight to a home invasion sequence to a gas station shootout over nearly an hour.
—
Alison Herman, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
Brill, so nervy and and raw as Astrov in Uncle Vanya this summer, is almost frayed to pieces as Reg, able to contort his body into postures that range from unsettling to pathetically funny.
—Vulture, 29 Oct. 2023
Laughlin — whose beverage of choice is milk — is nervy and idealistic.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2023
But that movie, for all its missteps, looks increasingly like the noblest of failures, a genuinely nervy, conceptually ambitious folly from which the director has now retreated to this movie’s safer, smugger climes.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023
Gray, whose Claudia is nervy and explosive, is a perfect complement to Shamos’s seemingly unassuming, actually arrogant, reckless, cowardly, sensitive Paul.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2023
Uncertainty and disagreement about what is even being priced into those yields is hardly a good sign in a nervy market.
—WSJ, 19 Oct. 2023
By the time mainstream radio was catching up to the nervy new wave of bands like the Talking Heads, frontman Byrne was pushing the group to incorporate African polyrhythms into their palette — several years before other rockers followed suit.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2023
Noname spends the day smiling and chatting in the crowd and backstage, surrounded by friends and fans, emitting the nervy ebullience of a party host who hopes her attendees are happy.
—Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, Pitchfork, 18 Sep. 2023
See More
Alison Herman, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
Brill, so nervy and and raw as Astrov in Uncle Vanya this summer, is almost frayed to pieces as Reg, able to contort his body into postures that range from unsettling to pathetically funny.
—Vulture, 29 Oct. 2023
Laughlin — whose beverage of choice is milk — is nervy and idealistic.
—Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2023
But that movie, for all its missteps, looks increasingly like the noblest of failures, a genuinely nervy, conceptually ambitious folly from which the director has now retreated to this movie’s safer, smugger climes.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023
Gray, whose Claudia is nervy and explosive, is a perfect complement to Shamos’s seemingly unassuming, actually arrogant, reckless, cowardly, sensitive Paul.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2023
Uncertainty and disagreement about what is even being priced into those yields is hardly a good sign in a nervy market.
—WSJ, 19 Oct. 2023
By the time mainstream radio was catching up to the nervy new wave of bands like the Talking Heads, frontman Byrne was pushing the group to incorporate African polyrhythms into their palette — several years before other rockers followed suit.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2023
Noname spends the day smiling and chatting in the crowd and backstage, surrounded by friends and fans, emitting the nervy ebullience of a party host who hopes her attendees are happy.
—Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, Pitchfork, 18 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nervy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Articles Related to nervy
Dictionary Entries Near nervy
Cite this Entry
“Nervy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nervy. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
nervy
adjective
nervier; nerviest
1
a
: showing calm courage : fearless
b
: rudely bold
a nervy salesperson
2
nerviness
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on nervy
Nglish: Translation of nervy for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of nervy for Arabic Speakers
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