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.
“It’s nerve-racking and worth watching,” he said, with margin debt likely targeting areas of the market with momentum.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
But as one nerve-racking challenge ended, another was only beginning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
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
In sum: You are racked with guilt, you’ve had a nerve-racking time, and you’re facing wrack and ruin.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
