nailbiter

British

/ ˈneɪlˌbaɪtə /

noun

a person who bites his or her nails
a person who is anxious or tense
something that causes anxiety or tension

"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

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 following season, the Bruins lost again in the Sweet 16, this time in a 78-69 nailbiter against Louisiana State.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Sharp, dark and humorous, it's a real nailbiter.

From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025

Kraken forward Ryan Donato admitted after this nailbiter of a game that it was indeed a test passed even if it required some late cramming.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 19, 2023

"Now, Kari, this seemed like a race you'd easily win, yet it's been a real nailbiter," says Heidi Gardner as Fox host Ainsley Earhardt.

From Salon • Nov. 13, 2022

Edgar Wright’s first horror proper is billed as a psychological nailbiter in the vein of Repulsion and Don’t Look Now.

From The Guardian • Jan. 1, 2020

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023