nerve-racking
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of nerve-racking
First recorded in 1805–15
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.
"Being on the stand might be nerve-racking, but our futures and our rights are worth standing up for," she told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
"It was also a bit nerve-racking as anyone who has applied software updates before would know, there's always a chance than an update can cause other issues," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
He pointed not only to the deluge of expected corporate bond supply, but also more potential mega IPOs after a nerve-racking summer for the Treasury market.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
“It was nerve-racking, but knowing our team is one, the nervousness turns to confidence,” Seung said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
It was a nerve-racking experience to see him come my way.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
