1
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
he was nervous about how he would do at the varsity basketball tryouts
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
a nervous silence filled the room as the teacher handed out the graded exams
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in excitable
easily excited by nature
a nervous sort of person, she's completely thrown by anything unexpected
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nervous
Even so, there were nervous moments in the control room after launch.
—
Joe Palca, NPR, 26 Feb. 2026
Yet without a deep push in the Big Ten tournament, the Buckeyes will be nervous leading up to the announcement of the host sites on March 14.
—Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Still, people are nervous about the national economy.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
In prior years, water managers in cities and farm communities throughout California would have been nervous.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nervous
Joe Palca, NPR, 26 Feb. 2026
Yet without a deep push in the Big Ten tournament, the Buckeyes will be nervous leading up to the announcement of the host sites on March 14.
—Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Still, people are nervous about the national economy.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
In prior years, water managers in cities and farm communities throughout California would have been nervous.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nervous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nervous
Adjective
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The culling perfectly played into ongoing fears that AI automation is coming for white-collar jobs, a major job market and economic disruption that workers are becoming increasingly worried about — and which clearly has execs salivating.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
5 Mar. 2026
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But Boone wasn’t too worried about the right-hander’s velocity in early February.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Arab leaders have sought to calm nationals and expatriate residents who chose to move to the Persian Gulf region for stability, safety and the promise of prosperity, but who are increasingly growing uneasy as the conflict becomes more chaotic.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
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In Canada, as elsewhere, the climate movement, after years of raucous visibility, has largely fallen into a state of uneasy quietude.—
Robert Moor,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Lego Galaxy hopes to draw visitors — and perhaps new audiences — by focusing on slicker, more modern technology and injecting in the park the sort of excitable ride more commonly found at Legoland’s Southern California competitors.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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But where Dad is excitable, McGonigle is more reserved.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Don’t be too anxious for April and May, hoping for the perfect weather, the perfect bloom or the perfect Baltimore oriole to flash its black and orange colors.—
Sheryl De Vore,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
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Women who are anxious, overwhelmed, or emotionally reactive get labeled as depressed or hormonal.—
Sarah Oreck,
SELF,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Video circulating on social media shows tense moments inside the cabin as passengers were instructed to put their heads down and raise their hands while armed officers entered the plane.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
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The district is facing several major challenges in the months ahead, including looming budget cuts, tense contract negotiations with unions and ongoing concerns among families about immigration enforcement in some communities.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Frogs made enough big shots in the final minutes to prevent another upset.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Mar. 2026
-
However, other kids of the same age range might be more upset by the violence and harsh realities of nature—especially the ruthless and brutal of hierarchy of nature during the dinosaur years.—
Alex Shoemaker,
Parents,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
What followed was even more disturbing.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
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That would be a particularly disturbing piece of real hate mail Kubrin received late last year after she was quoted in a news story about immigration and crime.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While the basics of gardening remain the same, proper watering, light, fertilizing, and pest control are key; some new vegetable gardeners may feel apprehensive about taking those first steps.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
25 Feb. 2026
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Others remain apprehensive about the ongoing therapies and medications that will continue to change their quality of life, coupled with the anxiety of the cancer returning.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nervous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nervous. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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