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
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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
as in anxiety
an uneasy state of mind usually over the possibility of an anticipated misfortune or trouble
your nervousness over your son's safety is only natural
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nervous
Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 13 June 2025
Ordinarily, nervous traders would seek shelter in U.S. government bonds, pushing bond prices up and yields down.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 13 June 2025
Daniel Byman: Trump is making Netanyahu nervous But leaders and peoples—in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Damascus, Beirut—have grown tired of wars around religion and ideology, and many are ready to pursue development instead.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
The video highlighted how visibly nervous Jessie was while using jokes to get through the show.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for nervous
Adjective
In the past, contestants have admitted to experiencing a wide range of emotions in this particularly vulnerable moment: overwhelmed, nervous, paralyzed, and yeah, even terrified.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 13 June 2025
Ordinarily, nervous traders would seek shelter in U.S. government bonds, pushing bond prices up and yields down.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 13 June 2025
Daniel Byman: Trump is making Netanyahu nervous But leaders and peoples—in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Damascus, Beirut—have grown tired of wars around religion and ideology, and many are ready to pursue development instead.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
The video highlighted how visibly nervous Jessie was while using jokes to get through the show.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for nervous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nervous
Adjective
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And although several college refs are famous and infamous within certain fan bases and leagues, college leaders are worried about backlash toward officials going any further.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
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This is perhaps the most important reason everyone should be so worried about the Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill.—
Paul Weinstein Jr,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Some are bigger than others: economic uncertainty, changing customer behaviors, personal isolation, leadership burnout, marketing crisis, brand reputation, uneasy board members, investor expectations, consumer confidence, health issues and family challenges.—
Nancy Padberg,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
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But Musk’s rebuke has energized fiscal hawks in the Senate who were already uneasy with the legislation’s scope.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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The telling of the entire story of America, after all, calls into question the greatness that Donald Trump pledges to restore, and agitates a base that remains threatened and excitable by our multicultural reality.—
Kevin Sack,
Time,
3 June 2025
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Anyone familiar with the world of the Grateful Dead knows that one of the band’s most devoted and excitable fans was the late Bill Walton, the illustrious Hall of Fame NBA center who died in May 2024 at 71.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2025
Noun
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Survey respondents’ anxiety over unemployment also declined, but a separate measure of employment trends from the Conference Board dipped slightly, reflecting lingering economic uncertainty.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
10 June 2025
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When an industry accelerates this fast, anxiety is sure to follow and a growing number of CEOs aren’t asking whether to build with AI.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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One in every three young adults aged 18-25 reports feeling anxious or lonely.—
Ann Kowal Smith,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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Coi Leray has blessed her anxious fans with first glimpses of her and Trippie Redd’s baby girl.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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Over the past few weeks, Bieber has found himself at the center of increasingly tense run-ins with paparazzi.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
16 June 2025
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Their only hope is to get to a nearby island, a situation made harder – and much more tense – by a clever great white, noteworthy for being a real shark rather than a CGI one like most films use.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 June 2025
Noun
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As the threat of more strikes continues to fuel fears in Israel, the residents of Tamra are left feeling anxious.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
16 June 2025
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Staffers were losing access to the agency’s internal payment system, and officials in the Congo were reluctant to authorize an expenditure, for fear that they would be accused of circumventing the executive order.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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Tottenham’s fanbase are torn over the decision to sack Postecoglou and some members of the first-team squad are deeply upset.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
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During the interview, Alford also acknowledged that he'd been upset with Talley, complaining that both his roommates treated him like a child instead of a man.—
John Lynch,
Arkansas Online,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nervous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nervous. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
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