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
There’s really nothing to be nervous about, just the optics of everything.
—Peter A. Berry, Billboard, 18 Nov. 2024
Still, Trump kept Republicans nervous by mixing in messages of grievance up until the very end of the race, veering off a script on inflation and immigration that operatives believed was more effective in winning over persuadable voters.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2024
The tech industry has been nervous about what Trump, who now has his own social network in the form of Truth Social, might do about Section 230 the second time around.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2024
But advocates remain nervous given the GOP’s appetite for other anti-LGBTQ+ policies, such as bills blocking gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
—Kate Sosin, Them, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nervous 
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Peter A. Berry, Billboard, 18 Nov. 2024
Still, Trump kept Republicans nervous by mixing in messages of grievance up until the very end of the race, veering off a script on inflation and immigration that operatives believed was more effective in winning over persuadable voters.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2024
The tech industry has been nervous about what Trump, who now has his own social network in the form of Truth Social, might do about Section 230 the second time around.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2024
But advocates remain nervous given the GOP’s appetite for other anti-LGBTQ+ policies, such as bills blocking gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
—Kate Sosin, Them, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nervous
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 30 Nov. 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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