nerve-racking
Americanadjective
adjective
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Etymology
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.
Tipped off about planes ferrying refugees out of the country, White escorts two clusters of refugees to the airport, enduring blazing heat, hungry waits and the nerve-racking threat of failure.
From Washington Post
If performer Susan Lynskey found it nerve-racking to step onstage in the title role and channel the icon who had just spoken, no angst showed.
From Washington Post
“It was nerve-racking, but we finished the game strong and yeah, it’s something I’ll remember forever.”
From Washington Times
It is a nerve-racking mood-shift, worthy of a great horror movie.
From New York Times
“It does get a little nerve-racking knowing the ball is in your hands all the time,” said Diao, who showed her poise.
From Washington Post
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.
