adj
nervous
NUR-vuhs
adj
1
Easily agitated, anxious, or worried, especially about an upcoming event.
"She felt nervous before her first day at the new job."
"He gets nervous whenever he has to speak in public."
2
Relating to the nerves or nervous system.
"The disease attacks the nervous system over time."
How to Use Nervous
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFeeling anxious or on edge, or (in medical contexts) related to the body's nerves.
Common pairings
nervous system
nervous energy
nervous laugh
feel nervous
Word Forms
more nervous comparative, nervouser comparative, most nervous superlative, nervousest superlative
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Etymology
From Latin nervōsus ("sinewy, vigorous"), from nervus ("sinew, nerve"). The modern meaning of "anxious" developed later in English, shifting from the older sense of "full of sinew, strong."