1
a
: timid, apprehensive
a nervous smile
nervous of strangers
b
: easily excited or irritated : jumpy
… so nervous that he had to be escorted outside court to vomit …—
Kevin Johnson and Andrea Stone
Kevin Johnson and Andrea Stone
c
: of or relating to the nerves
also
: originating in or affected by the nerves
nervous energy
a nervous twitch
2
a
: tending to produce nervousness or agitation : uneasy
a nervous situation
His face was twisted in nervous anticipation.—Dagoberto Gilb
Dagoberto Gilb
b
: appearing or acting unsteady, erratic, or irregular
—used of inanimate things
… climbed carefully into his nervous kayak …—Farley Mowat
Farley Mowat3
: of, relating to, or composed of neurons
4
: marked by strength of thought, feeling, or style : spirited
a vibrant tight-packed nervous style of writing
nervously
adverb
nervousness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of nervous in a Sentence
She is nervous about her job interview.
All this waiting is making me nervous.
He gave a nervous glance at the clock.
His nervous mother is always worrying that something terrible will happen to him.
He has a nervous disposition.
It was a very nervous situation.
She suffers from a nervous disorder.
He walked around with a nervous twitch.
He had a nervous habit of pulling at his hair.
The boy has a lot of nervous energy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Like any teenage rookie, Bronny James, who was selected by the Lakers in the second round of last week’s draft, chose his words carefully and sounded nervous at times Tuesday during his introductory news conference alongside General Manager Rob Pelinka and Coach JJ Redick.
—Ben Golliver, Washington Post, 2 July 2024
Black tea is a good source of manganese, a mineral involved in energy metabolism, blood clotting, and nervous and immune system function.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 2 July 2024
Still, Autoweek reports that consumers remain nervous about pulling the trigger on a new car.
—Collin Woodard / Jalopnik, Quartz, 1 July 2024
In Middle Rock, the first American suburb that’s fifty per cent Jewish, ostentatious wealth is a disguise, a nervous attempt by the town’s residents to camouflage their minority status against the backdrop of the American Dream.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for nervous 
Ben Golliver, Washington Post, 2 July 2024
Black tea is a good source of manganese, a mineral involved in energy metabolism, blood clotting, and nervous and immune system function.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 2 July 2024
Still, Autoweek reports that consumers remain nervous about pulling the trigger on a new car.
—Collin Woodard / Jalopnik, Quartz, 1 July 2024
In Middle Rock, the first American suburb that’s fifty per cent Jewish, ostentatious wealth is a disguise, a nervous attempt by the town’s residents to camouflage their minority status against the backdrop of the American Dream.
—Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for nervous
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nervous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to nervous
Dictionary Entries Near nervous
Cite this Entry
“Nervous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nervous. Accessed 14 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nervous
adjective
ner·vous
ˈnər-vəs 
1
a
: of, relating to, or composed of neurons
nervous tissue
b
: of or relating to the nerves
c
: having its source in or affected by the nerves
nervous energy
3
: causing uncomfortable feelings
a nervous situation
nervously
adverb
nervousness
noun
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