nail-biting

[ neyl-bahy-ting ]

See synonyms for: nail-biting nail-bitings on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act or practice of biting one's fingernails, especially as the result of anxiety or nervousness.
Informal. nervousness: The announcement that the trade agreement had been signed ended a week of nail-biting on Wall Street.

adjective

Informal. causing nervousness: The nail-biting part of the canoe trip was through the stretches of white water.

Origin of nail-biting

First recorded in 1890–95

Other words from nail-biting

nail-biter, noun

Words Nearby nail-biting

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nail-biting in a sentence

It was all the nail biting stuff of keeping up all night working.
Week in Death: The Woman Who Cracked Hitler’s Codes | The Telegraph | November 17, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Another Sunday, another nail-biting episode of Breaking Bad.
Dean Norris Deconstructs “Breaking Bad’s” Hank Schrader | Andrew Romano | September 2, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
During the nail-biting 2008 Democratic presidential primary, Obama was in it to win it.
John Boehner’s Holiday Photo Snub & More Petty Political Moments | Abby Haglage | December 5, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
There are moments of exultation and frustration, of nail-biting anxiety, and the normal banter that characterizes any workplace.
JFK’s Secret White House Recordings Unveiled | Ted Widmer | September 25, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
A sports movie and a redemption story and a drug movie and a nail-biting tale of success!
Lights, Camera, Cocktails | Brody Brown | September 17, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST

Certain other childish habits, such as nail-biting, have also been described as sexual manifestations.
The Sexual Life of the Child | Albert Moll
Nail biting is an unsightly habit, one that may even hinder one's social acceptance.
A Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis | Melvin Powers
When are nail-biting and dirt-eating seen, and how are they to be controlled?
The Care and Feeding of Children | L. Emmett Holt

British Dictionary definitions for nail-biting

nail-biting

noun

the act or habit of biting one's fingernails
- anxiety or tension
- (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

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