bundle of nerves

American  

noun

1. someone who is overcome with worry, fear, or anxiety.

   He’s an incredible singer but a complete bundle of nerves before a performance.

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bundle of nerves Idioms  

1. Extremely jittery, tense, or fearful person, as in For months after the accident, Aunt Jane was a bundle of nerves. [1930s]

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Etymology

Origin of bundle of nerves

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Keys, who upset Aryna Sabalenka in last year's final, admitted after her laboured first-round win that she was a bundle of nerves and "too timid".

From Barron's

They were a bundle of nerves stepping into the venue, he said, but other guests immediately put them at ease.

From The Wall Street Journal

Madame Babushkinov was ill equipped to console the child, for she was a bundle of nerves herself and chattered nonstop.

From Literature

Under the surface, though, they were a bundle of nerves.

From BBC

"I have just been a bundle of nerves for days, it is just complete relief."

From BBC

Related Words

• agitated
• anxious
• disturbed
• edgy
• fidgety
• itchy
• nervous
• restive
• sleepless
• troubled
• uneasy
• unruly
• unsettled