Synonyms

nervous wreck

Idioms

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.

nervous wreck

Meanwhile, the experts in Europe are still a nervous wreck.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026

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

“I was a nervous wreck and highly ashamed of myself,” he wrote.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 27, 2022

Ever since he'd been injured in the war, he was a nervous wreck.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023