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Synonyms

nervous wreck

Idioms  

  1. An individual suffering from extreme agitation or worry, as in Pat was a nervous wreck until her mother arrived at the wedding. This expression is nearly always used hyperbolically. [Colloquial; c. 1900] Also see basket case.

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.

What I got from it was this very driven woman who is extremely capable, but sort of a nervous wreck.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2024

"I just don't want to go through another mudslide," she said, adding that she would be a "nervous wreck" if she stayed.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2023

Even their dog was a nervous wreck with the constant rain.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2023

OAKLAND, Calif. — Adam Oller sat at his locker a nervous wreck as he watched the stressful final few outs on a corner clubhouse TV, elbows on knees and knees bouncing into the air.

From Washington Times • Jul. 26, 2022

By the time hunting season was over, I was a nervous wreck.

From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls

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.