nervous

adjective

ˈnər-vəs How to pronounce nervous (audio)
Definition of nervousnext
1
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty he was nervous about how he would do at the varsity basketball tryouts

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings a nervous silence filled the room as the teacher handed out the graded exams

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in excitable
easily excited by nature a nervous sort of person, she's completely thrown by anything unexpected

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective nervous contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of nervous are energetic, lusty, strenuous, and vigorous. While all these words mean "having or showing great vitality and force," nervous suggests especially the forcibleness and sustained effectiveness resulting from mental vigor.

full of nervous energy

When is energetic a more appropriate choice than nervous?

Although the words energetic and nervous have much in common, energetic suggests a capacity for intense activity.

an energetic campaigner

When might lusty be a better fit than nervous?

While in some cases nearly identical to nervous, lusty implies exuberant energy and capacity for enjoyment.

a lusty appetite for life

When is it sensible to use strenuous instead of nervous?

While the synonyms strenuous and nervous are close in meaning, strenuous suggests a preference for coping with the arduous or the challenging.

the strenuous life on an oil rig

When can vigorous be used instead of nervous?

The meanings of vigorous and nervous largely overlap; however, vigorous further implies showing no signs of depletion or diminishing of freshness or robustness.

as vigorous as a youth half his age

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nervous Hers did roll to the outside, giving American fans a nervous moment for a second. —Brandon Veale, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2026 But Malinin, who used to be nervous about choosing music for himself at the risk of not being liked, Weir recalled, leaned into two of his most personal programs. —Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026 Sometimes the stress of a nail-biting game calls for nervous munching. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026 Others are more about sustained anxiety or tension, such as feeling nervous and strung up. —Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nervous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nervous
  1. worried
  2. uneasy
  3. excitable
  4. anxious
  5. tense
  6. upset
  7. disturbing
  8. apprehensive
Adjective
  • Capital expenditures, which are closely watched by investors who are worried about overspending, are expected to range between $175 billion to $185 billion in 2026.
    — Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2026
  • But Willie Brown, the former mayor and speaker was not worried that Newsom would overly burnish his own story in his book.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of worried
Adjective
  • Stage’s version translates the already uneasy feelings of hearing acid house reduced to happy-go-lucky plastic into something out of an actual acid trip.
    — Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Bashar is on the left, his body slightly angled away, his face uneasy.
    — Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • The expressive and excitable young girl stumbles along, while the wary grown-up remains controlled and refined — even though both are completely lost.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Dry ice streams from an inflatable jaguar head, beyond an excitable DJ and announcers on stilts.
    — Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of excitable
Adjective
  • The Fall-Off can sometimes feel simpatico and obvious, with mellifluously soulful tones that conjure an air of anxious nostalgia.
    — Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 9 Feb. 2026
  • At the same time, consumers appeared less anxious about inflation.
    — Benzinga, Freep.com, 7 Feb. 2026
Definition of anxious
Adjective
  • Rather than trying to defuse a tense situation, officers abruptly used physical or chemical force.
    — Natasha Korecki, NBC news, 14 Feb. 2026
  • If true, this likely suggests a very tense intercept scenario, perhaps even shadowing or escorting away from Chinese airspace.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026
Definition of tense
Adjective
  • SpaceX said on its launch page that residents in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties might experience one or more sonic booms during the launch, a phenomenon that has long upset residents and raised concerns about the booms’ effect on nearby endangered species.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Littler added that his girlfriend would often get upset when her father talked about owning a gun.
    — Saul Pink, San Antonio Express-News, 14 Feb. 2026
Definition of upset
Adjective
  • But the extent of our housing affordability crisis is more disturbing than ever before.
    — Margi Glavovic Nothard, Sun Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Beginning with a montage of news footage from the day — the notorious May 1985 European Cup final between Italian club Juventus and English rivals Liverpool — the film’s open text informs viewers, or rather warns them, that disturbing historical images may follow.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • A lot of seniors are apprehensive about reporting things, Miller said.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
  • With its apprehensive expression, Cry Cry Horse is like an emotional support animal for what is expected to be a tumultuous Year of the Horse in the world.
    — Marissa Martinez, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of apprehensive

Phrases Containing nervous

Browse Nearby Words

nervosity
nervous
nervous breakdown
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Cite this Entry

“Nervous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nervous. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nervous

Nglish: Translation of nervous for Spanish Speakers

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