nervous

adjective ner·vous \ˈnər-vəs\

: having or showing feelings of being worried and afraid about what might happen

: often or easily becoming worried and afraid about what might happen

: causing someone to feel worried and afraid : making someone nervous

Full Definition of NERVOUS

archaic : sinewy, strong

: marked by strength of thought, feeling, or style : spirited <a vibrant tight-packed nervous style of writing>

: of, relating to, or composed of neurons

a : of or relating to the nerves; also : originating in or affected by the nerves <nervous energy>

b : easily excited or irritated : jumpy

c : timid, apprehensive <a nervous smile> <nervous of strangers>

a : tending to produce nervousness or agitation : uneasy <a nervous situation>

b : appearing or acting unsteady, erratic, or irregular —used of inanimate things

— ner·vous·ly adverb

— ner·vous·ness noun

See nervous defined for English-language learners

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First Known Use of NERVOUS

14th century

Related to NERVOUS

Synonyms: aflutter, antsy, anxious, atwitter, dithery, edgy, goosey, het up, hinky [slang], hung up, ill at ease, insecure, jittery, jumpy, nervy, perturbed, queasy (also queazy), tense, troubled, uneasy, unquiet, upset, uptight, worried, keyed up, on edge, on pins and needles, on tenterhooks

Antonyms: calm, collected, cool, easy, happy-go-lucky, nerveless, relaxed

Synonym Discussion of NERVOUS

vigorous, energetic, strenuous, lusty, nervous mean having or showing great vitality and force. vigorous further implies showing no signs of depletion or diminishing of freshness or robustness <as vigorous as a youth half his age>. energetic suggests a capacity for intense activity <an energetic campaigner>. strenuous suggests a preference for coping with the arduous or the challenging <the strenuous life on an oil rig>. lusty implies exuberant energy and capacity for enjoyment <a lusty appetite for life>. nervous suggests especially the forcibleness and sustained effectiveness resulting from mental vigor <full of nervous energy>.