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Synonyms

nail-biting

American  
[neyl-bahy-ting] / ˈneɪlˌbaɪ tɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act or practice of biting one's fingernails, especially as the result of anxiety or nervousness.

  2. Informal. nervousness.

    The announcement that the trade agreement had been signed ended a week of nail-biting on Wall Street.

adjective

  1. Informal. causing nervousness.

    The nail-biting part of the canoe trip was through the stretches of white water.
nail-biting British  

noun

  1. the act or habit of biting one's fingernails

    1. anxiety or tension

    2. ( as modifier )

      nail-biting suspense
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

After decades of nail-biting and false alarms, has it finally arrived?

From Salon

It's tense at the top and nail-biting at the bottom.

From BBC

A Hollywood ceremony set to feature music from "KPop Demon Hunters" and Conan O'Brien as host will feature several nail-biting reveals, culminating in the announcement of the year's best film, which remains anyone's guess.

From Barron's

But underneath all the nail-biting is a solid foundation—Arsenal hasn’t climbed to the top of the league by accident.

From The Wall Street Journal

Finn Russell converted and although he missed a penalty with the last kick of the game, Scotland closed out a nail-biting win.

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.