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.

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Example Sentences

Of course he was already a nervous wreck from being the shortest kid around, and you knew it wasn’t going to calm him down to have people holler, “Here, Fido!” or “Here, Spot!” at him.

From Literature

By this time Maxine was a nervous wreck, along with Donald and Lester and everybody else on Bus 6.

From Literature

Even as a passenger she can't relax, and says her anxiety makes her husband a "nervous wreck" when he is driving.

From BBC

"Let's face it, I started this game a bit of a nervous wreck. I've thrown some really good friends under the bus, I've murdered national treasures in plain sight. I'm clearly a better liar and traitor than I thought I was."

From BBC

“It’s like I’m having a mental breakdown. I’m a nervous wreck. I’m sweating. When Dornoch was going into the gate at the Kentucky Derby, I literally couldn’t breathe. I was hyperventilating and I almost passed out. I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• agitated
• anxious
• apprehensive
• edgy
• excited
• jittery
• nervous
• restive
• shaky
• strained
• stressful
• uneasy