nervous

Study(21)

UK /ˈnɜːvəs/ US /ˈnɝːvəs/

adj 5

Collocations

(adj.)

VERBS

appear, be, feel, look, seem, sound

The job applicant sounded nervous during the phone interview.

become, get, grow

make sb

All the loud noises from the construction site made the elderly residents nervous.

ADV

desperately, extremely, highly, really, very

She felt really nervous before her first day at the new school.

PREP

about

She felt nervous about starting her new job on Monday morning.

She felt nervous at the thought of meeting her boyfriend's parents for the first time.

She felt a bit nervous of speaking in front of such a large audience.

(noun.)

ADJ

complete

VERB + NERVOUS BREAKDOWN

have, suffer

PHRASES

the brink/edge/verge of a nervous breakdown

After months of caring for her elderly parents, she found herself on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Definitions

adj

Of sinews and tendons.

[T]here is nothing in marble equal to the Venus of Medici, for ſoftneſs and tenderneſs; as there is nothing ſo ſtrong and nervous, as the Hercules Farneſe.

Of sinews and tendons.

Fortescutus illustratus, or a commentary on that nervous treatise De Laudibus Legum Angliæ […] [book title]

Nervous, clear, and striking, was almost all that he uttered […].

Of nerves.

All Nervous Diſtempers whatſoever, from Yawning and Stretching, up to a mortal Fit of an Apoplexy, ſeems to me to be but one continued Diſorder, or the ſeveral Steps or Degrees of it, ariſing from a Relaxation or Weakneſs, and the want of a ſufficient Force and Elaſticity in the Solids in general, and the Nerves in particular, in Proportion to the Reſiſtance of the Fluids, in order to carry on the Circulation, remove Obſtructions, carry off the Recrements, and make the Secretions.

Elizabeth Moſs, a girl of about 15 years of age, was attacked, in December, 1773, with a ſlow nervous fever, during the courſe of which ſhe had very little ſleep; […]

Thesaurus

Synonyms

adjective — unpredictably excitable (especially of horses)

adjective — excited in anticipation

aflutter

adjective — causing or fraught with or showing anxiety

adjective — of or relating to the nervous system

neural

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

nervous hit

A production which receives generally favorable notice, but is not assured of success.

But it hardly mattered; her singing (including "My Own Best Friend" made into a solo) and performing were so strong that few quibbled, especially as she was accomplishing a valiant

Example Bank

[T]here is nothing in marble equal to the Venus of Medici, for ſoftneſs and tenderneſs; as there is nothing ſo ſtrong and nervous, as the Hercules Farneſe.

Wiktionary

Fortescutus illustratus, or a commentary on that nervous treatise De Laudibus Legum Angliæ […] [book title]

Wiktionary

Nervous, clear, and striking, was almost all that he uttered […].

Wiktionary

With so many people around he naturally became a bit nervous.

Tatoeba · #1554

She is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Tatoeba · #2183

The recent frequency of earthquakes makes us nervous.

Tatoeba · #18689

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, nervous is marked as obsolete. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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