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.
He beat rival Atamifuji in a nail-biting finale, recovering from a slow start to throw his opponent to the ground.
From Barron's
The 49-year-old won the first celebrity series after convincing fellow finalists Nick Mohammed and David Olusoga that he was a faithful in a nail-biting final.
From BBC
Then the two battled in a nail-biting playoff, which began with the Ukrainian on his back foot.
From Barron's
After three weeks of murder, betrayal and some blazing rows, the latest series of The Traitors came to a typically nail-biting climax in Friday's finale.
From BBC
It’s not a perfect science, but that’s what makes it so interesting and nail-biting, right up until the moment an envelope is opened.
From Salon
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.
