nerve
Americannoun
-
nerves
plural
-
one or more bundles of fibers forming part of a system that conveys impulses of sensation, motion, etc., between the brain or spinal cord and other parts of the body.
-
a sinew or tendon.
to strain every nerve.
-
firmness or courage under trying circumstances.
an assignment requiring nerve;
to lose your nerve at the very last moment.
- Synonyms:
- resolution, fortitude, intrepidity, steadfastness
-
boldness; audacity; impudence; impertinence.
He had the nerve to say that?
-
nerves, nervousness.
an attack of nerves.
-
strength, vigor, or energy.
a test of nerve and stamina.
- Antonyms:
- weakness
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(not in technical use) pulp tissue of a tooth.
-
Botany. a vein, as in a leaf.
-
a line, or one of a system of lines, extending across something.
verb (used with object)
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nerves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
nerved,
past participle, past
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nerving
present participle
idioms
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bundle of nerves. see bundle of nerves.
-
have nerves of steel, to be able to control one’s fear or unease and remain calm and competent, even in the worst of circumstances.
I thought I had nerves of steel, but when we had to dissect a pig, I turned into a jellyfish.
-
get on one's nerves, to irritate, annoy, or provoke one.
Boisterous children get on my nerves.
noun
-
any of the cordlike bundles of fibres that conduct sensory or motor impulses between the brain or spinal cord and another part of the body
-
courage, bravery, or steadfastness
-
to become timid, esp failing to perform some audacious act
-
informal boldness or effrontery; impudence
he had the nerve to swear at me
-
muscle or sinew (often in the phrase strain every nerve )
-
a large vein in a leaf
-
any of the veins of an insect's wing
-
to mention or bring to mind a sensitive issue or subject
verb
-
to give courage to (oneself); steel (oneself)
-
to provide with nerve or nerves
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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nervesimple
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nervessimple
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have nervedperfect
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has nervedperfect
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am nervingprogressive
-
are nervingprogressive
-
is nervingprogressive
-
have been nervingperfect progressive
-
has been nervingperfect progressive
Past
-
nervedsimple
-
had nervedperfect
-
was nervingprogressive
-
were nervingprogressive
-
had been nervingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of nerve
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English: “nerve, tendon,” from Latin nervus “sinew, tendon”; akin to Greek neûron ( see neuron); replacing Middle English nerf, from Middle French, from Latin, as above
Explanation
A nerve is a group of fibers that send sensation or physical feeling to the brain. Back pain can sometimes be caused by a damaged or pinched nerve. Your body depends on your nerves for sensing pain, heat, and cold — not to mention making it possible for you to move your muscles. You can also use the word nerve to mean bravery or daring: "She didn't know if she'd have the nerve to skydive when she was finally up in the plane." In the 1500s, to nerve was "to ornament with threads." All of these come from a Latin root, nervus, "sinew, tendon, cord, or bowstring."
Vocabulary lists containing nerve
"Raymond's Run"
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Psychology
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Human Anatomy and Physiology - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
One received active nerve stimulation, while the other used a sham device designed to serve as a comparison.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
Deep within the brainstem is a tiny group of nerve cells that plays an outsized role in how the brain functions.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
The chronic condition occurs when the immune system attacks the protective layer of nerve fibers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
They also performed ultrasound examinations to measure the size of the median nerve, an indicator of swelling.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
I finally muster the nerve to ask the question bouncing around in my head.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
“I think the earnings season is probably also from a fundamental sense, it’s a sort of let’s calm down the nerves a little bit,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
The headline of the Financial Times reads: "AI debt nerves trigger race for default insurance in case boom turns to bust".
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Chwalinska, 25, felt a few nerves as she closed in on her first WTA 1,000 title, but took her third championship point when Kartal hammered a forehand long.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
The gathering came during a week when investor nerves over rising borrowing costs and AI labs’ profitability hit semiconductor stocks and the bonds of AI infrastructure providers such as CoreWeave.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
My siblings get on my nerves almost constantly, but I can’t imagine refusing to help if they were in trouble.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
“He can get a little nerved up in the paddock,” said Shirreffs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2021
Then followed a few scruffy years on local TV, including his celebrated stint as a smart-aleck weatherman, before he nerved himself to head to Los Angeles in 1975.
From New York Times ● Apr. 10, 2017
Less a teen-age Rangerphile than an arachnophobe encountering a tarantula, I nerved myself to walk over to where Lindsay sat and confronted him, boy to man.
From The New Yorker ● Apr. 19, 2015
A.F.T. has 450 locals, including 32 at college level, but only about 50 are nerved to act like labor unions and clinch collective bargaining agreements.
From Time Magazine Archive
Fear lest he depart while she sat trembling upstairs nerved her and she was inside the room before she caught her breath.
From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
Last week, in the salty little city of Bath, Me., the moment lor which Mrs. Vanderbilt had been nerving herself finally arrived.
From Time Magazine Archive
As the story starts, the singer is nerving herself to ask a doctor whether or not she has a cancer.
From Time Magazine Archive
Amateur championships nerving himself up to proper pitch.
From Time Magazine Archive
She stood outside nerving herself for the ordeal, knowing her desk would be the only one without flowers.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
I glanced up at the threatening outline, nerving myself for a final struggle.
From McClure's Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 4, September 1893 by Various
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
