nail-biting
Americannoun
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the act or practice of biting one's fingernails, especially as the result of anxiety or nervousness.
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Informal. nervousness.
The announcement that the trade agreement had been signed ended a week of nail-biting on Wall Street.
adjective
noun
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the act or habit of biting one's fingernails
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anxiety or tension
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( as modifier )
nail-biting suspense
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Other Word Forms
- nail-biter noun
Etymology
Origin of nail-biting
First recorded in 1890–95
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.
Early versions of aversion therapy were first trialled on animals and then on humans for conditions such as phobias, compulsions, and addictions, for example, using mild shocks to reduce nail-biting or gambling.
From BBC
"SOHO has overcome nail-biting challenges to become one of the longest-operating space missions of all time."
From Science Daily
The ending is now quite changed, with nail-biting results, the team said.
From Los Angeles Times
In Thursday night's nail-biting finale, her luck ran out - as she was banished at the roundtable despite making a pinky promise with fellow traitor Alan Carr, who went on to win.
From BBC
Yamamoto's nerveless contribution on Saturday -- which saw him shepherd the Dodgers over the line in a nail-biting 11th inning -- left team-mates and coaching staff in disbelief.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
