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

A gnarly debate at the center of modern AI research boils down to this: Can a system modeled on the human nervous system ever actually match a human’s abilities?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

In the brain, for example, microglia, which are the macrophages of the central nervous system, may become senescent in conditions like Alzheimer's disease as they encounter large amounts of cellular debris.

From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2026

In addition, the market is nervous about private credit problems in the software sector and their impact on big banks and other financial stocks.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

I began to feel really nervous again, but I tried to make it pass.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

Vocabulary lists containing nervous

Emotions on Display

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"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto

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Yikes! Synonyms for "Scared"

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