nervous

[ nur-vuhs ]
See synonyms for: nervousnervouslynervousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. highly excitable; unnaturally or acutely uneasy or apprehensive: to become nervous under stress.

  2. of or relating to the nerves: nervous tension.

  1. affecting the nerves: nervous diseases.

  2. experiencing, characterized by, or originating in a nervous system disorder.

  3. characterized by or attended with acute uneasiness or apprehension: a nervous moment for us all.

  4. having or containing nerves.

  5. sinewy or strong.

  6. Archaic. vigorous or spirited.

Origin of nervous

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin nervōsus “sinewy,” equivalent to nerv(us) nerve + -ōsus -ous

Other words for nervous

Opposites for nervous

Other words from nervous

  • nerv·ous·ly, adverb
  • nerv·ous·ness, noun
  • non·ner·vous, adjective
  • non·ner·vous·ly, adverb
  • o·ver·nerv·ous, adjective
  • o·ver·nerv·ous·ly, adverb
  • sem·i·nerv·ous, adjective
  • sem·i·nerv·ous·ly, adverb
  • un·nerv·ous, adjective
  • un·nerv·ous·ly, adverb

Words Nearby nervous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use nervous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nervous

nervous

/ (ˈnɜːvəs) /


adjective
  1. very excitable or sensitive; highly strung

  2. (often foll by of) apprehensive or worried: I'm nervous of traffic

  1. of, relating to, or containing nerves; neural: nervous tissue

  2. affecting the nerves or nervous tissue: a nervous disease

  3. archaic active, vigorous, or forceful

Derived forms of nervous

  • nervously, adverb
  • nervousness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012