nervous

[nur-vuhs] / ˈnɜr vəs /

ADJECTIVE

anxious, fearful

Synonyms

STRONGEST

afraid agitated annoyed apprehensive concerned edgy fussy hesitant hysterical irritable jittery jumpy shaky shy skittish spooked tense timid uneasy uptight volatile weak

WEAK

basket case bothered distressed disturbed excitable fidgety fitful flustered high-strung nervy neurotic on edge overwrought querulous restive ruffled sensitive shrinking snappish solicitous taut timorous troubled twitchy unrestful unstrung upset wired worried

Antonyms

STRONGEST

bold brave calm certain collected composed confident cool easygoing extroverted fearless firm happy laid-back sufficient sure unafraid uncaring unwavering unworried

WEAK

unnervous

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"There's a big pressure and I'm just trying to get better - I'm still learning. Now I'm nervous as I'm back at the Crucible, but I will try to control myself."

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

CATL’s neighbors-to-be are nervous about toxic waste, after revelations that Orban ignored reports of pollution from a Samsung SDI EV battery plant near Budapest.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

In the Netflix film, Swan demonstrates with calipers on a life-size, anatomically correct male baby doll in a coffee shop to the nervous titters of the participants.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

Smith is nervous that it won’t pay out if she needs something costly like a hospital stay.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

She’d been nervous as a cat when I first started at Formann’s, though over the last two and a half weeks she seemed to have gotten used to it.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Vocabulary lists containing nervous

Emotions on Display

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Yikes! Synonyms for "Scared"

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!