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
Walking on to set after landing your big breakout role is a nerve-racking moment for any actor.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
Conrad: For me, just the idea of bringing cameras back into my life was very nerve-racking, but we were all executive producers.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
For anyone facing potentially dire medical results or other nerve-racking ambiguities, the waiting is the hardest part.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026
A nerve-racking hour went by with no word from the captain.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
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.
