Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for nerve-racking. Search instead for nerve-trying.
Synonyms

nerve-racking

American  
[nurv-rak-ing] / ˈnɜrvˌræk ɪŋ /
Or nerve-wracking

adjective

  1. extremely irritating, annoying, or trying.

    a nerve-racking day; a nerve-racking noise.


nerve-racking British  

adjective

  1. very distressing, exhausting, or harrowing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

See Examples For:

“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

One of the ex-Rockstar workers involved in the tribunal, Jack Hoxby, told BBC Newsbeat the approaching court date was "nerve-racking".

From BBC Jun. 30, 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

He shrank from the very thought of breaking another door seal and repeating the nerve-racking process of mending it, but there was no other way.

From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training