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.
The secret nearly allows Echo to win, but the next day in a nail-biting finish, Liquid defeats the last boss after 474 attempts and secures its place as the best guild in the world.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 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
It's tense at the top and nail-biting at the bottom.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 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.
