nervy
brashly presumptuous or insolent; pushy: a nervy thing to say; a nervy trick to pull.
having or showing courage; brave or bold: the nervy feats of the mountaineers.
strong; sinewy; vigorous: a hard, nervy physique.
Chiefly British. straining one's patience or forbearance; trying.
nervous; excitable; on edge.
Origin of nervy
1Other words from nervy
- nerv·i·ly, adverb
- nerv·i·ness, noun
Words Nearby nervy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use nervy in a sentence
The bodega owner had to be able to rap, which wasn’t necessarily a common skill among aspiring Broadway stars at the time — but it was one Miranda had, in addition to a nervy, rangy stage presence that worked well with the show’s underdog energy.
How In the Heights went from a student musical to one of the summer’s biggest movies | Constance Grady | June 11, 2021 | VoxThe nervy electricity and joy of the film, arriving at this moment in time, are an unbeatable combo.
The long-awaited In the Heights movie is electrifying and perfectly timed | Alissa Wilkinson | May 21, 2021 | Voxnervy as men are made, MacRae worshiped at the shrine of an even break, a square deal for friend or foe.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. SinclairHe must be getting nervy, he thought, and continued his inspection of the wallet.
The Daffodil Mystery | Edgar WallaceThe magistrate of Esifeni was not a timid man, but the monotony of life at his remote post rather tended to make him “nervy.”
Forging the Blades | Bertram Mitford
He was one of the gregarious sort, a loud talker, nervy really, very familiar with all the passengers.
Sea and Sardinia | D. H. LawrenceOh, ho, I see you are not as nervy as I thought, there was a mischievous glint in his merry black eyes.
Blue Robin, the Girl Pioneer | Rena I. Halsey
British Dictionary definitions for nervy
/ (ˈnɜːvɪ) /
British informal tense or apprehensive
having or needing bravery or endurance
US and Canadian informal brash or cheeky
archaic muscular; sinewy
Derived forms of nervy
- nervily, adverb
- nerviness, 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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