nail-biting
Americannoun
-
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
noun
-
the act or habit of biting one's fingernails
-
-
anxiety or tension
-
( as modifier )
nail-biting suspense
-
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.
Emphatic wins over the Netherlands and Wales granted access to the knockout stage, before a nail-biting shootout win against Sweden and a last-gasp victory over Italy secured a final rematch against world champions Spain.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
Paul, 28, held his nerve in a nail-biting third set to dig out a 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 triumph in 2hr 40min to claim the fifth ATP title of his career.
From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026
After decades of nail-biting and false alarms, has it finally arrived?
From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026
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 • Mar. 1, 2026
“A medal-league table was set up every day in most newspapers, which showed the points every team had reached....For us youngsters, it was a nail-biting experience to the very last day. We had won!”
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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.
