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

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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 Mercury is toxic to the nervous, digestive and immune systems, as well as the kidneys, lungs and skin, according to the World Health Organization. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026 But in private conversations, the regime’s elites remain quite nervous. — Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026 Martineau admits to being a bit nervous before showing up on set ahead of meeting the boys who would play the crew team. — Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026 After all, Iqbal said, some people are still nervous about EV batteries, or about charging. — Willa Rubin, NPR, 30 Sep. 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
  • Not that the type of people staying here are worried about getting anywhere; this is the private car and driver, door-to-door service type of clientele.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • But instead of celebrating that success, Andi is worried she’ll be seen as an opportunist rather than a legitimate co-author.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of worried
Adjective
  • Many of the women interviewed still feel uneasy about the experience.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
  • There was some uneasy laughter, and then, what everyone else was too afraid to say came from the only person who could.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • Kalind, the younger brother of a bonobo named Kevin, was the more excitable and playful of the two.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Hailing from San Antonio, Texas, Deanna is a proud mother of three and an excitable introvert.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of excitable
Adjective
  • As in the thriller, anxious local leaders debated whether publicizing the peril would scare off tourists.
    — Bob Drogin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Because of these risks, many conservation groups and lawmakers are anxious to see permanent protections.
    — Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of anxious
Adjective
  • Neither starter excelled on a tense, uncommonly hot October night in downtown San Diego.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The conversation seems to turn tense when Hanks speaks face-to-face with André and security personnel block the view.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of tense
Adjective
  • Legend has it Michael Jackson asked his security to keep fans away from him at a local dive bar, only to become upset when the locals were all too good at treating him like a normal person.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Ultimately, after he was found out to be a con artist, according to his critics, Minnesota media appears to be more so upset that Jamal was not acting in the Somali community’s best interests.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of upset
Adjective
  • Brian had written down the recipe, and, in his back shed, Michael, with the eventual assistance of Kasey, sets about following it into strange and disturbing territory.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Artificial’s timeliness in that regard is striking, even disturbing.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • Kids often don’t want to hear that, Kaliamurthy said, and families can be apprehensive about such an open commitment.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Fleet operators acknowledged that some drivers have been apprehensive to make the leap to zero-emission trucks because the technology is new and charging can be a challenge.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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