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
Shane was nervous on his first day of shooting Wishful Thinking — and says the film’s lead actress, Maya Hawke, walked him through the basics of being on a film set.
—
Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2026
The Redhawks came out flying and made a final push, scoring six straight to cut the lead to four to make the South Hadley fans rather nervous.
—Matt Roy, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
A lot of directors would have been scared or nervous to shoot that.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
Rosenthal believes stories about kids feeling nervous or afraid to try new things connect with both children and adults.
—Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nervous
Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2026
The Redhawks came out flying and made a final push, scoring six straight to cut the lead to four to make the South Hadley fans rather nervous.
—Matt Roy, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
A lot of directors would have been scared or nervous to shoot that.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
Rosenthal believes stories about kids feeling nervous or afraid to try new things connect with both children and adults.
—Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nervous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nervous
Adjective
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But if anything, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell sounded more worried about the upside risk of inflation in the aftermath of Operation Epic Fury.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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That uncertainty is why economists are increasingly worried that companies may pause their hiring plans and consumers may rein in spending.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Shadow of Turkmenchay The uneasy relationship between the two powers stretches back nearly two centuries.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
14 Mar. 2026
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Residents who attended the rally said the situation has left many neighbors uneasy.—
Ross DiMattei,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Between each dance was an excruciating silence during which network-TV producers monitored and reset their equipment while the men fidgeted onstage like excitable children.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
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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
Adjective
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Over a week, readers were treated to a raft of anxious baby content.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
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Tokyo is also becoming increasingly anxious about Chinese missiles targeting Japanese bases.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The atmosphere in El Portal Village Hall was tense during the 2 1/2-hour meeting that took place days after the demolition.—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2026
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The World Baseball Classic rolls on, and Team USA lives to see another day after a tense first few innings spent watching Team Italy and Mexico on Wednesday.—
Johnny Flores Jr,
New York Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Tewksbury looks to avenge both the loss to Canton earlier, and an upset state final loss to Boston Latin in 2024.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
14 Mar. 2026
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Watching the Chinese Taipei team in tears after an upset win against Korea, and the Japanese fans embracing Czechia’s every grain of success — the moments that made Pool C special were with teams actively growing the game in their country through those brick-by-brick means.—
Maria Torres,
New York Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Though intensely disturbing, a scene where a TV shows a distorted iteration of a character that Ohm watched as a kid rings out of place, even if the context involves his mother’s tragic passing.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
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If true, this is obviously disturbing.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The license is expected to give a massive boost to Venezuela’s oil-dependent economy and help encourage companies that have been apprehensive to invest.—
Regina Garcia Cano,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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Despite their obvious differences in setting and premise, each one conveys the difficulty of imagining a future amid an apprehensive present.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nervous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nervous. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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