nerve

American  

[nurv] / nɜrv /

noun

• nerves
  plural

1. 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.

2. a sinew or tendon.

   to strain every nerve.

3. firmness or courage under trying circumstances.

   an assignment requiring nerve;

   to lose your nerve at the very last moment.

   Synonyms:

   resolution, fortitude, intrepidity, steadfastness

4. boldness; audacity; impudence; impertinence.

   He had the nerve to say that?

5. nerves, nervousness.

   an attack of nerves.

6. strength, vigor, or energy.

   a test of nerve and stamina.

   Synonyms:

   might, force, power

   Antonyms:

   weakness

7. (not in technical use) pulp tissue of a tooth.

8. Botany. a vein, as in a leaf.

9. a line, or one of a system of lines, extending across something.

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verb (used with object)

• nerves,
  present (3rd person singular)
• nerved,
  past participle,  past
• nerving
  present participle

1. to give strength, vigor, or courage to.

   Encouragement had nerved him for the struggle.

   Synonyms:

   brace, steel, invigorate, fortify, strengthen

   Antonyms:

   weaken

idioms

1. bundle of nerves. see bundle of nerves.

2. 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.

3. get on one's nerves, to irritate, annoy, or provoke one.

   Boisterous children get on my nerves.

nerve British  

/ nɜːv /

noun

1. 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

2. courage, bravery, or steadfastness

3. to become timid, esp failing to perform some audacious act

4. informal boldness or effrontery; impudence

   he had the nerve to swear at me

5. muscle or sinew (often in the phrase strain every nerve )

6. a large vein in a leaf

7. any of the veins of an insect's wing

8. to mention or bring to mind a sensitive issue or subject

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verb

1. to give courage to (oneself); steel (oneself)

2. to provide with nerve or nerves

nerve Scientific  

/ nûrv /

1. Any of the bundles of fibers made up of neurons that carry sensory and motor information throughout the body in the form of electrical impulses. Afferent nerves carry information to the central nervous system, and efferent nerves carry information from the central nervous system to the muscles, organs, and glands. Efferent nerves include the nerves of the peripheral nervous system, which control voluntary motor activity and of the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary motor activity.

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nerve Cultural  

1. A bundle of fibers composed of neurons that connects the body parts and organs to the central nervous system and carries impulses from one part of the body to another.

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nerve More Idioms  

1. see bundle of nerves; get on someone's nerves; get up (one's nerve); have a nerve; lose one's nerve; of all the nerve; war of nerves.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• nerves
  plural

Participles

• nerving
  present
• nerved
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• nerve
  simple
• nerves
  simple
• have nerved
  perfect
• has nerved
  perfect
• am nerving
  progressive
• are nerving
  progressive
• is nerving
  progressive
• have been nerving
  perfect progressive
• has been nerving
  perfect progressive

Past

• nerved
  simple
• had nerved
  perfect
• was nerving
  progressive
• were nerving
  progressive
• had been nerving
  perfect progressive

Future

• will nerve
  simple
• will have nerved
  perfect
• will be nerving
  progressive
• will have been nerving
  perfect progressive

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nerve nerves nerved nerving

The trio won the prize for their work on optogenetics and discoveries on how nerve cells shape memories, feelings and behaviors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Can Richard E Grant hold his nerve in this episode?

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Lower marker levels suggest a reduced density of dopamine nerve terminals.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

Eventually, MS can cause permanent damage to the nerve fibers, and symptoms vary from person to person, depending on the location and severity of the damage in the nervous system.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

Robin walked slowly out to the pulpit with a second harpoon, stopping after the first couple of steps to get her balance and maybe find the nerve to keep going.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

Her mother, Mygal, checks the news and eats a biscuit herself to calm her nerves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

W. David Arnold, executive director of the NextGen Precision Health initiative, and his collaborators found that communication between nerves and muscles becomes less reliable as people age.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

“And that changes the nerves or whatever bad mood or the rest of the week.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

Perhaps the Downing Street nerves will have eased a bit.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

He shook off his nerves and began by humming the melody.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

“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

For weeks Washington had been on the alert for the Vinson report, nerved itself this week to hear the report go off, dynamiting the profiteers of World War II.

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

Amateur championships nerving himself up to proper pitch.

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

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

Jan stopped; he seemed to be nerving himself to go on with his narration.

From The Danes Sketched by Themselves. Vol. II (of 3) A Series of Popular Stories by the Best Danish Authors by Various

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