nervous

[ nur-vuhs ]
/ ˈnɜr vəs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR nervous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of nervous

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin nervōsus sinewy, equivalent to nerv(us) nerve + -ōsus -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM nervous

Words nearby nervous

nervine, nerving, nervon, nervonic acid, nervosity, nervous, nervous bladder, nervous breakdown, nervous exhaustion, nervous indigestion, nervous lobe
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to nervousness

tension, stress, impatience, agitation, sensitivity, disquiet, jitters, uneasiness, anger, turbulence, worry, flap, perturbation, stimulation, animation, to-do, tizzy, fuss, timidity, discomfiture

Example sentences from the Web for nervousness

British Dictionary definitions for nervousness

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

Medical definitions for nervousness

nervous
[ nûr′vəs ]

adj.

Of or relating to the nerves or nervous system.
Stemming from or affecting the nerves or nervous system, as a disease.
Easily agitated or distressed.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.