Nearby Words
adjective
1.
highly excitable; unnaturally or acutely uneasy or apprehensive: to become nervous under stress.
2.
of or pertaining to the nerves: nervous tension.
3.
affecting the nerves: nervous diseases.
4.
suffering from, characterized by, or originating in disordered nerves.
5.
EXPANDcharacterized by or attended with acute uneasiness or apprehension: a nervous moment for us all.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin nervōsus sinewy, equivalent to nerv(us) nerve + -ōsus -ous
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin nervōsus sinewy, equivalent to nerv(us) nerve + -ōsus -ous
Related forms
nerv·ous·ly, adverb
nerv·ous·ness, noun
non·ner·vous, adjective
non·ner·vous·ly, adverb
non·ner·vous·ness, noun
EXPANDo·ver·nerv·ous, adjective
o·ver·nerv·ous·ly, adverb
o·ver·nerv·ous·ness, noun
sem·i·nerv·ous, adjective
sem·i·nerv·ous·ly, adverb
sem·i·nerv·ous·ness, noun
un·nerv·ous, adjective
un·nerv·ous·ly, adverb
un·nerv·ous·ness, noun
COLLAPSESynonyms
1. fearful, timid, timorous.
1. fearful, timid, timorous.
Antonyms
1. confident, bold.
1. confident, bold.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Nervous
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
Example Sentences
- The central nervous system is comprised of the brain and spinal cord.
- The declining numbers and the possibility of infusion makes me nervous.
- As a writer you sometimes get nervous that you've let your commitment to a story run away with your judgment.
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
nervous
c.1400, "affecting the sinews," from L. nervosus "sinewy, vigorous," from nervus "sinew, nerve" (see nerve). Sense of "of or belonging to the nerves" in the modern sense is from 1665. Meaning "suffering disorder of the nervous system" is from 1734; illogical sense "restless,
EXPANDagitated, lacking nerve" is 1740. Widespread popular use as a euphemism for mental forced the medical community to coin neurological to replace it in the older sense. Nervous wreck first attested 1899.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
nervous nerv·ous (nûr'vəs)
adj.
Of or relating to the nerves or nervous system.
Stemming from or affecting the nerves or nervous system, as a disease.
Easily agitated or distressed.
nerv'ous·ness n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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