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nerve

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word nerve different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of nerve are audacity, cheek, chutzpah, effrontery, gall, hardihood, and temerity. While all these words mean "conspicuous or flagrant boldness," nerve, cheek, gall, and chutzpah are informal equivalents for effrontery.

the nerve of that guy
has the cheek to call herself a singer
had the gall to demand proof
the chutzpah needed for a career in show business

Where would audacity be a reasonable alternative to nerve?

The words audacity and nerve are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, audacity implies a disregard of restraints commonly imposed by convention or prudence.

an entrepreneur with audacity and vision

When is it sensible to use effrontery instead of nerve?

Although the words effrontery and nerve have much in common, effrontery implies shameless, insolent disregard of propriety or courtesy.

outraged at his effrontery

When could hardihood be used to replace nerve?

In some situations, the words hardihood and nerve are roughly equivalent. However, hardihood suggests firmness in daring and defiance.

admired for her hardihood

When is temerity a more appropriate choice than nerve?

The synonyms temerity and nerve are sometimes interchangeable, but temerity suggests boldness arising from rashness and contempt of danger.

had the temerity to refuse

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of nerve
Noun
One way to crank up the nerves slightly is to use your phone to record your answers on video. Carmine Gallo, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 Topical magnesium may help reduce the pain but does not repair the nerve damage.5 3. Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 18 June 2025 With the mother duck waiting patiently, each duckling slowly gathered the nerve to jump, prompting cheers from the crowd. Kendall Malinchock, USA Today, 18 June 2025 It’s thought that, over time, high blood sugar levels can fry some of the nerves responsible for blood-pressure regulation. Rachel Nall, SELF, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for nerve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerve
Noun
  • The members of my party have the gall to request several of these demonic items from the livid waiter.
    Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 5 June 2025
  • Lia Thomas stole a medal through deceit, and this rag has the gall to call him a 'champion'?
    Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • Some have said his victory gave them the courage to come out to their families and friends, and even to themselves.
    Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
  • Katz emphasizes Adams’ courage in publishing Lesbian Love.
    Kellie B. Gormly, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • Born into the cult, Prophet draws comparisons between the group’s apocalyptic dogma (braced for a Soviet nuclear strike, the church built extensive Montana bomb shelters in the early 1990s), and Christian Nationalism, QAnon and the MAGA movement.
    R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Colorado’s health department is bracing for several layoffs early next month for workers focused on cancer and heart disease prevention, thanks to the apparent loss of nearly $2 million in federal grant funding and the state’s own bleak fiscal outlook.
    Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 28 June 2025
Noun
  • This silliness, the silliness of his arrogance, was actually funny to me.
    Ottessa Moshfegh, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
  • On the dark side, however, Mercury in Leo can spark moments of arrogance and stubbornness.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • The ship's new namesake, Oscar V. Peterson, was a naval officer who was killed in World War II and posthumously granted a Medal of Honor by Congress for bravery during the war.
    Alana Wise, NPR, 27 June 2025
  • Ideas flowed from product engineers to senior leaders, creating a shared sense of bravery, purpose and camaraderie.
    Stephen McKeown, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • Following the January departure of Flos B&B Italia’s chief executive officer, luxury veteran Daniel Lalonde, its new management has been focused on fortifying each firm in its portfolio before selling them off.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 1 July 2025
  • But with the move into Texas, the conference took a small but significant step to fortifying itself for the next round of realignment chaos.
    Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • Bronze, often used to convey heroism and stability, is in Mutu’s hands reimagined as porous and ancestral—a medium that can hold memory rather than impose legacy.
    Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • But daily acts of kindness, heroism, and protest point this reader toward the light.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Because the World Cup will be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, those countries have been spared an arduous qualifying competition — tense games that would have steeled them for the tournament ahead.
    Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2025
  • The founders of Chime trudged into Amino Capital's bare-bones office early one Saturday morning in the summer of 2013, steeling themselves for disappointment.
    Stephen Pastis, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Nerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerve. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

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