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.
The product offers clinicians an easy way to learn without having to practice on patients already undergoing nerve-racking procedures.
From Slate • Jun. 7, 2026
Former winner Shaun Murphy believed taking his driving test was "the most nerve-racking moment of my life".
From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026
And I’ve done a lot of shows that are even more nerve-racking than a solo acoustic show, and that’s living room shows.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
While essentially a disaster film, the visually alarming and nerve-racking “Fukushima” is also a cross-cultural psychodrama, about an industry, and perhaps a society, having a meltdown all its own.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
It’s just a little nerve-racking to have anyone know even the smallest bit about my suspicions.
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
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.
