Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Of or relating to the nerves or nervous system: nervous tissue.
- adj. Stemming from or affecting the nerves or nervous system: a nervous disorder.
- adj. Easily agitated or distressed; high-strung or jumpy.
- adj. Marked by or having a feeling of unease or apprehension: nervous moments before takeoff.
- adj. Vigorous in style or feeling; spirited: "the nervous thrust of a modern creation” ( Henry A. Kissinger).
- adj. Archaic Strong; sinewy.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Full of nerves.
- Sinewy; strong; vigorous; well-strung.
- Possessing or manifesting vigor of mind; characterized by force or strength in sentiment or style: as, a nervous historian.
- Of or pertaining to the nerves; seated in or affecting some part of the nervous system: as, a nervous disease; a nervous impulse; a nervous action.
- Having the nerves affected; having weak ordiseased nerves; easily agitated or excited; weak; timid.
- In botany, same as nerved.
- Synonyms Forcible.
- Timorous, excitable, high-strung.
Wiktionary
- adj. Easily agitated or alarmed. Being on edge or edgy.
- adj. Apprehensive, anxious, hesitant.
- adj. Relating to or affecting the nerves.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Possessing nerve; sinewy; strong; vigorous.
- adj. Possessing or manifesting vigor of mind; characterized by strength in sentiment or style; forcible; spirited.
- adj. Of or pertaining to the nerves; seated in the nerves
- adj. Having the nerves weak, diseased, or easily excited; subject to, or suffering from, undue excitement of the nerves; easily agitated or annoyed.
- adj. Sensitive; excitable; timid.
- adj. Apprehensive.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. easily agitated
- adj. excited in anticipation
- adj. of or relating to the nervous system
- adj. unpredictably excitable (especially of horses)
- adj. causing or fraught with or showing anxiety
Etymologies
- Middle English, sinewy, containing nerves, from Latin nervōsus, sinewy, from nervus, sinew; see nerve.
Examples
“It is hardly necessary to say that the functions of the nervous system are completely deranged, indeed, +nervous twitchings+ of the +eyelids+,”
“I am growing nervous (how you will laugh!) -- but it is true, -- really, wretchedly, ridiculously, fine-ladically _nervous_.”
Life of Lord Byron, Vol. 2 (of 6) With His Letters and Journals
“Actually, people don, t really know the meaning of the term nervous breakdown.”
“The term nervous breakdown is not a medical term and is not listed as a psychiatric disorder in any medical text It is a publicly non-medically coined term used in common language and speech to indicate a highly stressed state of mind”
“PT, I don't know how low your exercise level went, but I've found that if I'm completely sedentary, I have a strong impulse towards what I call nervous eating-- it's very clear that I really want the stimulation rather than being hungry.”
“And I want to begin with what Jennifer Lopez a well-known celebrity profiler named Kevin Sessums about having what she called a nervous breakdown when she was shooting a movie back in 2002.”
“Less than two weeks after the convention, the running mate held a news conference, Eagleton denied any drinking problems, but did acknowledge he had been hospitalized three times for what he called nervous exhaustion and had received electroshock therapy.”
“In a brand-new interview posted on "TheDailyBeast. com," Jennifer is telling all about her suffering, what she calls a nervous breakdown, also why she would consider sending her twins to a Scientology school, and the real reason she sold pictures of the twins for a reported $6 million.”
“Christina, he would have believed my delicate condition was the reason for what he referred to as my nervous disposition.”
“Even if that subtile form of force which we call nervous energy should prove to be uncorrelated with other forms of energy, the idea of the conservation of energy must be changed.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘nervous’.
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steffany(grade 2)
accident, agree, arrive, astronomy, attention, award, aware, balance, banner, bare, base, beach and 127 more...
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jackgrade2
accident, agree, arrive, astronomy, atlas, attention, award, aware, balance, banner, bare, base and 127 more...
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Describing People
eye, hair, mouth, nose, tooth, head, face, arm, hand, finger, lip, leg and 212 more...
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Deadlinitis
How do approaching (or missed) deadlines make you feel?
entrained, untraveling, wordasphyxia, inspired, anxious, guilty, concentrated, panic, blackout, focused, insomnia, hunger and 17 more...
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nerv-, nervi-, nervo-
nerve
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school starts in 2 days
excited, worried, nervous, anxious, already tired, what to wear, creative, technology, homework, grading
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