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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.

“It’s nerve-racking because it’s affecting all markets,” Love added.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

“There is a little less anxiety now,” she added, recalling the nerve-racking days after Maduro’s forced exit.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

Distribution — where you start to draw money from those funds, like an expensive wine in your cellar — can be nerve-racking.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026

But all that pitch-perfect precision is why the long-brewing sequel, “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” is so nerve-racking.

From Salon • Jan. 4, 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.