Synonyms

nervousness

American

[nur-vuhs-nis] / ˈnɜr vəs nɪs /

noun

the state or condition of being highly, acutely, or unnaturally uneasy or excitable.

There is always an element of nervousness or stage fright in public speaking.
High levels of thyroid hormones can cause side effects such as weight loss, rapid heart rate, and nervousness.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of nervousness

nervous ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Explanation

Nervousness is a quality of feeling anxious, worried, or alarmed. Your nervousness about flying in an airplane for the first time shouldn't keep you from fulfilling your dream of traveling to Iceland! Nervousness takes many forms. What's thrilling to one person —skydiving, public speaking, hosting a party — makes others feel nervous down to their bones. Your dog's nervousness around loud city traffic might finally convince you to move to the country, while your brother might end up outgrowing his nervousness around animals and wind up becoming a vet someday. Nervousness can involve sweating and trembling, or it can be invisible to observers.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Nervousness around AI seems to have reached fever pitch.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

Nervousness around holding U.S. assets has contributed to the dollar’s ongoing weakness over the past year, reinforcing the appeal of precious metals like gold.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026

Nervousness is rising as the so-called “X-date” that investors expect the U.S. to potentially default creeps forward.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 27, 2023

Nervousness about policymakers' next moves, though, kept the mood in check ahead of a Federal Reserve meeting later in the day and central bank meetings in Britain and Europe on Thursday.

From Reuters • Dec. 14, 2022

Nervousness seeps into terror as I anticipate what is to come.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023