Synonyms of nervous

nervous

adjective

ˈnər-vəs 

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

• worried
• anxious
• upset
• uneasy
• apprehensive
• troubled
• hesitant
• concerned
• uptight
• tense
• perturbed
• jittery
• jumpy
• flustered
• disturbed
• bothered
• queasy
• insecure
• ill at ease
• antsy
• freaked
• goosey
• nervy
• on tenterhooks
• distraught
• unquiet
• on pins and needles
• on edge
• obsessed
• preoccupied
• edgy
• dithery
• restless
• het up
• hinky
• distressed
• aflutter
• aggrieved
• disquieted
• fretful
• atwitter
• vexed
• hung up
• keyed up
• freaked-out
• foreboding
• shook-up
• unnerved
• fretting
• fidgety
• misgiving
• unstrung
• high-strung
• fluttery
• qualmish
• spooky
• skittish
• undone
• qualmy
• stewing
• flighty
• twittered
• hypertense

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• calm
• relaxed
• collected
• cool
• confident
• sure
• nerveless
• happy-go-lucky
• controlled
• self-assured
• self-confident
• self-controlled

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

• uneasy
• anxious
• tense
• disturbing
• restless
• unsettling
• creepy
• unnerving
• distressful
• worrisome
• distressing
• fraught
• agitating
• disquieting
• embarrassing
• hairy
• nerve-racking
• troublesome
• nail-biting
• strained
• awkward
• discouraging
• bothersome
• foreboding
• disheartening
• misgiving
• restive
• unrestful

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• comfortable
• quiet
• peaceful
• tranquil
• calming
• restful
• quieting
• pacific

3

as in excitable

easily excited by nature

a nervous sort of person, she's completely thrown by anything unexpected

Synonyms & Similar Words

• excitable
• anxious
• unstable
• volatile
• jittery
• hyper
• emotional
• jumpy
• high-strung
• hyperexcitable
• irritable
• hyperkinetic
• fluttery
• hyperactive
• spasmodic
• intense
• skittish
• spooky
• skittery
• sensitive
• flighty
• uptight
• fiddle-footed
• tense
• volcanic
• soulful
• temperamental
• hypersensitive
• mercurial
• hot-blooded
• nervy
• dramatic
• edgy
• melodramatic
• testy
• irascible
• emotionalistic
• histrionic
• flibbertigibbety
• touchy
• perturbable
• prickly

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unflappable
• imperturbable
• unshakable
• nerveless
• calm
• collected
• unexcitable
• cool
• serene
• tranquil
• easy
• relaxed
• easygoing
• laid-back

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective nervous contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of nervous are energetic, lusty, strenuous, and vigorous. While all these words mean "having or showing great vitality and force," nervous suggests especially the forcibleness and sustained effectiveness resulting from mental vigor.

full of nervous energy

When is energetic a more appropriate choice than nervous?

Although the words energetic and nervous have much in common, energetic suggests a capacity for intense activity.

an energetic campaigner

When might lusty be a better fit than nervous?

While in some cases nearly identical to nervous, lusty implies exuberant energy and capacity for enjoyment.

a lusty appetite for life

When is it sensible to use strenuous instead of nervous?

While the synonyms strenuous and nervous are close in meaning, strenuous suggests a preference for coping with the arduous or the challenging.

the strenuous life on an oil rig

When can vigorous be used instead of nervous?

The meanings of vigorous and nervous largely overlap; however, vigorous further implies showing no signs of depletion or diminishing of freshness or robustness.

as vigorous as a youth half his age

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of nervous

Biologists like Stan and Denver’s Stewart Breck want to make sure coyotes in town are like coyotes in Yellowstone, still wild, still a little nervous about us. —Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026

But why would Bronwyn be nervous? —Tom Smyth, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2026

Lilleaas was nervous about spontaneously saying it while filming. —Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026

The potential for credit risk in the AI trade is making some investors nervous. —Henry Ren, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2026

Phrases Containing nervous

• nervous Nellie
• nervous Nelly
• nervous breakdown
• nervous wreck