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nervous

[ nur-vuhs ]
/ ˈnɜr vəs /
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See synonyms for: nervous / nervously / nervousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
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Origin of nervous

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin nervƍsus “sinewy,” equivalent to nerv(us) nerve + -ƍsus -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM nervous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nervous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nervous

nervous
/ (ˈnɜːvəs) /

adjective
very excitable or sensitive; highly strung
(often foll by of) apprehensive or worriedI'm nervous of traffic
of, relating to, or containing nerves; neuralnervous tissue
affecting the nerves or nervous tissuea nervous disease
archaic active, vigorous, or forceful

Derived forms of nervous

nervously, adverbnervousness, noun
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
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