1
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
he was nervous about how he would do at the varsity basketball tryouts
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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
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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
The player who had previously seemed nervous and tentative in possession was replaced by one who, when receiving the ball with his back to goal, would repeatedly pirouette fluidly on the spot and evade his marker.
—
Paul Taylor, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
The question, from Amabile, was greeted with brief silence and then a wave of nervous laughter.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 29 Jan. 2026
But who is this enigmatic maiden concealed behind a mask and uncharacteristically nervous about the ball?
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
In the kitchen, that same nervous sentiment hangs in the air without having to be spoken.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nervous
Paul Taylor, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
The question, from Amabile, was greeted with brief silence and then a wave of nervous laughter.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 29 Jan. 2026
But who is this enigmatic maiden concealed behind a mask and uncharacteristically nervous about the ball?
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
In the kitchen, that same nervous sentiment hangs in the air without having to be spoken.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nervous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nervous
Adjective
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Capital expenditures, which are closely watched by investors who are worried about overspending, are expected to range between $175 billion to $185 billion in 2026.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
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But Willie Brown, the former mayor and speaker was not worried that Newsom would overly burnish his own story in his book.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Chalk the moves up to uneasy investors.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Kelly and King shake things up around the half-hour mark by venturing into the real world, where Grace (Cristin Milioti), the mother of two boys unusually far apart in age, starts being overcome by uneasy feelings about a cold dark void.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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By 1984, each of the British new wave gods’ first three albums had gone platinum, their cinematic videos were regularly rotated on MTV, and nonstop global touring attracted Swiftian levels of excitable fans.—
A.D. Amorosi,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2026
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The venue was crammed with excitable 20- and 30-something women, among them Willa Bennett, the editor of Cosmopolitan and Seventeen.—
Carrie Battan,
Vulture,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Flat, calm but earnest, mildly anxious, blunted, volatile.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Times of Troy survey After an anxious few weeks for Trojan fans, USC finally has its next defensive coordinator.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Tempers flared during a recent pair of NBA games, and both contests were marred by tense clashes between players.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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Unnervingly tense, Ringu still holds up today as a watch-between-your-fingers favorite.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Witnesses told investigators Lynch was upset and angry about the breakup and talked of suicide.—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
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But in what can perhaps be called a minor upset, Noem was still in her role by week’s end.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Some of those revelations are deeply disturbing.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
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These disturbing images raise even more questions about Epstein and his relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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With its apprehensive expression, Cry Cry Horse is like an emotional support animal for what is expected to be a tumultuous Year of the Horse in the world.—
Marissa Martinez,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
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Staff morale improves, waiting rooms feel friendlier, and even the most apprehensive new patients are easier to engage.—
Henry I. Miller,
STAT,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nervous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nervous. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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