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Nervous

Definitions: Nervous

Nervous

Adjective

1. Easily agitated; "quick nervous movements".

2. Causing or fraught with or showing anxiety; "spent an anxious night waiting for the test results"; "cast anxious glances behind her"; "those nervous moments before takeoff"; "an unquiet mind".

3. Of or relating to the nervous system; "nervous disease"; "neural disorder".

4. Excited in anticipation.

5. Unpredictably excitable (especially of horses).

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "nervous" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1321. (references)

Etymology: Nervous \Nerv"ous\, adjective. [Latin expression nervosus sinewy, vigorous: compare to the French expression nerveux. See Nerve.]. (Websters 1913)

Synonyms: Nervous

Synonyms: aflutter (adj), anxious (adj), neural (adj), skittish (adj), spooky (adj), uneasy (adj), unquiet (adj). (additional references)

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Synonyms within Context: Nervous

ContextSynonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).

Fear

Afraid, fearful; timid, timorous; nervous, diffident, coy, faint-hearted, tremulous, shaky, afraid of one's shadow, apprehensive, restless, fidgety; more frightened than hurt.

Modesty

Adjective: modest, diffident; humble; timid, timorous, bashful; shy, nervous, skittish, coy, sheepish, shamefaced, blushing, overmodest.

Vigor

Adjective: vigorous, nervous, powerful, forcible, trenchant, incisive, impressive; sensational.

Weakness

Adjective: weak, feeble, debile; impotent; relaxed, unnerved; Verb: sapless, strengthless, powerless; weakly, unstrung, flaccid, adynamic, asthenic; nervous.

Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

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.

Crosswords: Nervous

English words defined with "nervous": autonomic nervous systemcentral nervous systemNervous deafness, nervous disorder, Nervous feverparasympathetic nervous system, peripheral nervous system. (references)
Specialty definitions using "nervous": 2-Chloroadenosine3-Iodobenzylguanidineafferent nerve, Affrighted, Alchemical Synergy, Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System, Amino Acid Neurotransmitters, Amphetamines, Amyloid beta-Protein, Anesthetics, Local, Angiostrongylus, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic, Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System, Autonomic Agents, Autonomic Denervation, Autonomic Dysreflexia, Autonomic Pathways, AxotomyBaroreflex, Batten-Mayou, Batten-Mayou disease, Batten-Mayou syndrome, Benserazide, Berger symptom, Berger's sign, Biogenic Amine Neurotransmitters, Biperiden, Bladder, Neurogenic, Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, BRAIN, Brain Neoplasms, break-down, brystkrampe, bush sickness or Boschziekte, Buss diseasecaisson sickness, Calcineurin, Calcium Channels, Calcium Channels, T-Type, Canal, Carbidopa, Carbohydrate-Deficient Glycoprotein Syndrome, Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal, Central Nervous System Bacterial Infections, Central Nervous System Cysts, Central Nervous System Depressants, Central Nervous System Diseases, Central Nervous System Helminthiasis, Central Nervous System Neoplasms, Central Nervous System Parasitic Infections, Central Nervous System Stimulants, Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations, Central Nervous System Viral Diseases, cerebellopontine, Chemoreceptors, Chlamydial encephalomyelitis, Chlorquinaldol, Cholecystokinin, Cholesteatoma, Chromaffin Cells, Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor, Clozapine, CNS metastases, CNS prophylaxis, CNS tumors, cochlear device, cochlear implant, cochlear prosthesis, Cold-Bath Fields, compressed air disease, compressed air illness, cow madness, Cowdria ruminantium infection, cowdriosis, Crack Cocaine, Creatine Kinasedecompression illness, Demyelinating Diseases, Dextroamphetamine, Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological, diaziquone, doctor, chiropracti, Dynorphinsebullism, eeg technologis, efferent nerve, ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC TECHNOLOGIST, Enkephalins, Enteric Nervous System, Epstein symptom, Epstein's symptom, Evoked PotentialsFabry Disease, FuneralGalanthamine, Ganglia, Autonomic, Ganglia, Parasympathetic, Ganglia, Sensory, Ganglia, Sympathetic. (references)
Etymologies containing "nervous": nervose. (references)

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Modern Usage: Nervous

DomainUsage

Screenplays

I eat breakfast 300 yards from 4000 Cubans who are trained to kill me, so don't think you can come down here, flash a badge, and make me nervous. (A Few Good Men; writing credit: Aaron Sorkin)

You made the fat kid a little nervous. He thinks the joint messed with your mind. (American History X; writing credit: David McKenna)

I'm so nervous. What if I forget the words? (Sister Act; writing credit: Joseph Howard)

Just don't make me nervous. (Outbreak; writing credit: Laurence Dworet; Robert Roy Pool)

I can't help it! I have a nervous stomach! (Stuart Little; writing credit: M. Night Shyamalan)

Lyrics

You'd act so nervous, ("Something to Talk About"; performing artist: Bonnie Raitt)

I'm a nervous world that your mine mine mine mine-ine ("Great Balls of Fire"; performing artist: Jerry Lee Lewis)

Clever

What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches? A nervous wreck. (references; author: unknown)

Movie/TV Titles

Drugs and the Nervous System (1972)

Nervous Shakedown (1947)

So You Think You're a Nervous Wreck (1946)

Don't Get Nervous (1929)

The Nervous Wreck (1926)

Song Titles

19th Nervous Breakdown (performing artist: The Rolling Stones)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Commercial Usage: Nervous

DomainTitle

Books

  • The Benzodiazepine Receptor : Drug Acceptor Only or a Physiologically Relevant Part of our Central Nervous System? (reference)

  • The Case of the Nervous Accomplice (reference)

  • The Role of Adenosine in the Nervous System (reference)

  • Adverse Mechanical Tension in the Central Nervous System: An Analysis of Cause and Effect: Relief by Functional Neurosurgery (reference)

  • Axonal Regeneration in the Central Nervous System (reference)

    (more book examples)

  

Periodicals

  

Theater & Movies

  

Music

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Image Slideshow: Nervous

Photos:
Nervous

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Illustrations:
Nervous

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Computer Images:
Nervous

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Photo Album: Nervous

ThumbnailDescription & CreditThumbnailDescription & Credit

Shown is a microscopic view of ganglioneuroblastoma, which is a growth on ganglia in the nervous system. Magnified X25. (S91-2171).Credit: Unknown photographer/artist.

This is a photomicrograph of Brucella melitensis, the cause of Brucellosis. Symptoms are similar to flu and may also include severe infections of the central nervous systems, and the lining of the heart, or endocardium.Credit: CDC.

Salmonella septicemia has been associated with subsequent infection of virtually every organ system, and the nervous system is no exception. Here we see an acute inflammatory encephalitis due to S. typhi bacteria.Credit: CDC.

[A child with kuru, a fatal nervous system disorder] / WHO photo.Credit: National Library of Medicine.

[Children with kuru, a fatal nervous system disorder] / WHO photo.Credit: National Library of Medicine.

A nervous wreck.Credit: Library of Congress.

Native to nervous motorist: Oh! I'd take a chanst on it : tell yer whot, I'll stan' right here till ye git safe down.Credit: Library of Congress.

The juggler must be getting nervous.Credit: Library of Congress.

Wonder what makes the old girl so nervous.Credit: Library of Congress.

Nervous interval --.Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Sounds Captioned with "Nervous".

PlayCaptionPlayCaption
Afraid; alarmed; apprehensive; blanched; dismayed; distressed; frightened; horrified; intimidated; nervous; panic-stricken; petrified; run scared; scared; scared stiff; shocked; spooked; startled; stunned; suspicious; terrified; terror-stricken; timid; ti.Berserk; beside oneself; blazing; carried away; convulsive; crazed; crazy; delirious; distracted; distraught; emotional; excited; agitated; fiery; frantic; frenzied; fuming; furious; impassioned; impetuous; incensed; irrepressible; mad; maddened; nervous.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Familiar Quotations: Nervous

AuthorQuotation

Emo Philips

I was driving down the highway, and I'm swerving all over, coz I'm trying to change the radio, and just as I get the old one taken out I hear this traffic cop behind me, "Whee-oo, whee-oo, whee-oo!" Well, I shouldn't make fun of his speech impediment. He asks me to walk in a straight line, so I do, then he asks me, "You call that a straight line?" Well, I should have said, I *should* have said, "Yes." But I was nervous and the only thing I could think of was "Well, Officer Pythagoras, the closest you'll ever come to a straight line is if they do an electroencephalagram of your own brainwave."

Thomas De Quincey

Tea, though ridiculed by those who are naturally coarse in their nervous sensibilities will always be the favorite beverage of the intellectual.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Use in Literature: Nervous

TitleAuthorQuote

Emma

Austen, Jane

Her father was growing nervous, and could not understand her.

Through the Looking-Glass

Carroll, Lewis

Everybody seemed satisfied with this, though Alice felt a little nervous at the idea of trains jumping at all.

A Christmas Carol

Dickens, Charles

For he wished to challenge the Spirit on the moment of its appearance, and did not wish to be taken by surprise, and made nervous.

Last Chance To See

Douglas Adams

He was tall, dark, and laconic and had a slight nervous tick.

Scarlet Letter

Hawthorne, Nathaniel

He had a ready faculty, indeed, of escaping from any topic that agitated his too sensitive and nervous temperament.

Les Miserables

Hugo, Victor

It is her time of life, and then the nervous system has something to do with it.

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Joyce, James

He walked on before them with short nervous steps, smiling.

Grapes of Wrath

Steinbeck, John

The Western States are nervous under the beginning change.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Non-Fiction Usage: Nervous

SubjectTopicQuote

Health

The nervous system helps direct body movements. (references)

As the child gets older, the nervous system develops. (references)

The young patient may become nervous, anxious, and unruly. (references)

Business

Approximately 265,000 deaths were registered in 1997. The primary causes of mortality include heart and coronary diseases (28.6 percent); malignant tumors (19.2 percent); cerebrovascular diseases (8.5 percent); accidents (3.6 percent); blood disorders (4.1 percent); pneumonia and influenza (3.4 percent); nervous system disorders (2.0 percent); infections (1.8 percent); and other causes (28.9 percent). (references)

Economic History

Israel

U.S. beef is licensed for bone-in sales but products from the central nervous system are banned. (references)

Ireland

The four leading therapy areas are cardiovascular system - 21 per cent, central nervous system - 18 per cent, alimentary/metabolism - 18 per cent and respiratory -11 per cent. (references)

Japan

Japan's aging population is generating increased demand for pharmaceutical treatments for problems of cardiovascular, central nervous system, digestive system, diabetes mellitus, etc. (references)

Travel

Czech Rep

Czechs are more reserved than Americans, and will be nervous about a typical American "let's get down to business" approach. (references)

Lexicography

Devil's Dictionary

ZEAL, n. A certain nervous disorder afflicting the young and inexperienced. A passion that goeth before a sprawl. When Zeal sought Gratitude for his reward He went away exclaiming: "O my Lord!" "What do you want?" the Lord asked, bending down. "An ointment for my cracked and bleeding crown." Jum Coople

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Spoken Usage: Nervous

SpeakerPhrase(s)

Dennis Miller

Someone once told me if you're nervous about going to parties you should bring a prop.

Fran Drescher

Well, I was a little, you know, like nervous. It took a little while. I mean, you know like we did it, and I managed to have an orgasm, and we managed to make love, and everything worked, which I was very happy about.

Julia Child

If I'm perfectly at ease with what I've done, I'm delighted, and if I'm not very much at ease, then I'm nervous a bit.

Leslie Van Houten

We drove all over L.A., and Manson was very agitated, and Casabian was very nervous and upset, and he was yelling at her a lot.

Liza Minnelli

Sure, I was nervous. But I feel so good, I feel so well, you know, and so centered. And I know what I do and I know who I am.

Rosie O'Donnell

Right away. I mean, I was a little bit nervous because I had a kid, I had a baby, Parker. I thought it would be weird to date people, you have a baby. But she's an amazing person. And she brings me tremendous joy. I'm very lucky, I feel.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Usage Frequency: Nervous

"Nervous" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 99.55% of the time. "Nervous" is used about 3,090 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)
Parts of SpeechPercentUsage per
100 Million Words
Rank in English
Adjective (general or positive)99.55%3,0763,049
Noun (proper)0.45%1493,893
                    Total100.00%3,090N/A

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Expressions: Nervous

Expressions using "nervous": Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System autonomic nervous system Autonomic Nervous System Diseases be nervous central nervous system Central Nervous System Agents Central Nervous System Bacterial Infections Central Nervous System Cysts Central Nervous System Depressants Central Nervous System Diseases Central Nervous System Fungal Infections Central Nervous System Helminthiasis Central Nervous System Infections Central Nervous System Neoplasms Central Nervous System Parasitic Infections Central Nervous System Protozoal Infections Central Nervous System Stimulants Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations Central Nervous System Venous Angioma Central Nervous System Viral Diseases Enteric Nervous System feel nervous get nervous Hereditary Central Nervous System Demyelinating Diseases make nervous making nervous nervous and frightened nervous asthenopia nervous breakdown nervous deafness nervous debility nervous disorder nervous energy nervous exhaustion nervous fever nervous fluid nervous nellie nervous principle nervous prostration nervous strain nervous system Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Malformations Nervous System Neoplasms Nervous System Physiology nervous temperament nervous tension nervous tissue nervous wreck Parasympathetic Nervous System peripheral nervous system Peripheral Nervous System Agents Peripheral Nervous System Diseases Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms primary central nervous system lymphoma Sympathetic Nervous System the nervous system. Additional references.

Hyphenated Usage

Beginning with "nervous": nervous-looking, nervous-making, nervous-system, nervous-systems.

Ending with "nervous": already-nervous, ever-nervous, excited-nervous, mid-nervous, non-nervous.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Nervous

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.
 
ExpressionFrequency
per Day

nervous system

994

nervous breakdown

345

nervous

100

nervous system picture

78

nervous system disease

59

nervous stomach

50

nervous disorder

31

nervous system disorder

30

nervous tissue

23

nervous system function

23

nervous record

23

nervous condition

22

nervous tick

22

nervous system anatomy

16

nervous leg syndrome

16

nervous tics

14

nervous habit

14

nervous net

14

nervous tic

12

nervous break down

12
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Modern Translations: Nervous

Language Translations for "nervous"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.

Albanian

  

nevrik (choleric, cranky, edgy, high strung, highly strung, hot tempered, irate, quick tempered, short tempered, vixenish), nervoz (edgy, excitable, fidgety, irritable, jittery, neural, restless), nervor (neural), me nervozizëm, i nervozuar (wrought up), i fortë (able bodied, adamant, adamantine, brawny, cast iron, cogent, decuman, Doughty, durable, endurable, enduring, fast, fierce, firm, flinty, forceful, Hale, hard, Hardy, heavy duty, high pitched, intense, intensive, keen, lancinating, oaky, potent, powerful, red blooded, refractory, resistant, robust, rocky, rough, rugged, screamy, serviceable, sharp, smart, solid, sound, spanking, stable, staunch, steely, stentorian, stiff, stout, strong, sturdy, swashing, swingeing, tenable, tenacious, tough, two-fisted, vehement, vigorous, violent, virile, virulent, well-built, well-set). (various references)

   

Arabic 

  

‏مهتاج (agitated, boiling, edgy, emotional, excited, irritable, raving, upset, wrought up), ‏منفعل (agitated, bad tempered, deeply stirred, edgy, emotional, excited, influenced, irritable, on edge, on fire, palatal, passive, upset, wrought up), ‏متململ (fidgety), ‏متوتر (edgy, high strung, in a state, on tenterhooks, strained, taut, tense), ‏قلق (agitated, anxiety, anxious, apprehension, apprehensive, apprehensiveness, bother, concern, concerned, crankous, cranky, discomfort, disquiet, disquietude, disturbance, fearful, fidget, fidgety, freakish, fretful, ill at ease, inquietude, perturbation, perturbed, restless, restlessness, solicitous, solicitude, stew, streaked, suspense, sweat, toss, troubled, troublous, uneasiness, uneasy, unquiet, unrest, upset, worried, worry), ‏عصبي المزاج (highly strung), ‏عصبي (apprehensive, edgy, fidgety, fretful, jitterbug, jumpy, nervy, neural, neuralgic, on edge, pithy, restless, spooky, testy, up the wall, uptight). (various references)

   

Bulgarian 

  

със слаби нерви, силен (acute, athletic, beefy, emphatic, energetic, flush, forceful, forcible, foul-mouthed, full, generous, hard, heavy, high, intense, invulnerable, iron, loud, lusty, main, male, mighty, muscled, muscular, nappy, nervy, perishing, pithy, potent, powerful, rattling, robust, short, shrewd, smacking, smart, sounding, stark, stiff, strong, sturdy, swingeing, telling, tenacious, thumping, thundering, torrid, two-fisted, vehement, vigorous), раздразнителен (bad tempered, chippy, choleric, edgy, excitable, explosive, fretful, gingery, ill, ill tempered, ill-conditioned, irascible, irritable, liverish, livery, nervy, peevish, pettish, petulant, prickly, querulous, raspy, ratty, snappish, stroppy, techy, tetchy, touchy, vinegary), неспокоен (anxious, apprehensive, broken, nervy, raucous, restive, restless, sleepless, spooky, uneasy, unrestful, unsound, worried, yeasty), нервозен (fractious), нервен (edgy, fidgety, jerky, jittery, jumpy, nervy, neural, neurotic, on edge, ratty, restless, snuffy, spooky, windy), загрижен (anxious, fraught, mindful, solicitous, worried), здрав (blooming, durable, entire, fast, fit, flourishing, flush, good, hard, healthful, healthy, hearty, hefty, invulnerable, lasting, laudable, lusty, nervy, reliable, right, robust, rubbery, rude, rugged, safe, salubrious, seaworthy, secure, serviceable, sinewy, sleek, sober, sound, stalwart, stanch, staunch, steady, stout, strapping, strong, sturdy, substantial, sure footed, taintless, tenacious, thickset, uncorrupted, up to the mark, vigorous, well, well-conditioned, without scathe), жив (above ground, active, agile, alert, alive, animate, breezy, brisk, cheerful, dashing, high-colored, high-coloured, jaunty, jazz, jazzy, live, lively, living, lusty, mercurial, mobile, nimble, organic, peppy, perky, pert, picturesque, pregnant, quick, racy, rattling, round, saucy, sharp, skittish, snappy, spicy, spirited, sprightly, spry, swinging, vital, vivacious, vivid, volatile, warm, whippy, zappy, zippy), жилест (gristly, knotty, lean, ropy, sinewy, venose, venous), енергичен (active, arduous, brisk, demon, driving, energetic, enterprising, firm, go-go, hearty, keen, live, pithy, pushing, red blooded, robust, sharp, smart, snappy, spanking, spicy, spirited, spunky, strong-minded, up and coming, vigorous, vital, youthful, zappy, zippy), изразителен (emphatic, expressive, meaningful, pungent, speaking, talking, telling, terse). (various references)

   

Chinese 

  

緊張 (critical, intense, strained, tense, tension), (line, strict, string, thread, tight, wire), 神"過敏 (jumpy, oversensitive), (jittering, jittery, nerve-racking, stressful, tension, uptight), , (fearful), , . (various references)

   

Czech

  

nervový (neural), nervózní (fussy, high strung, highly strung, ill tempered, jittery, jumpy, nervy, neurotic, on edge, overstrung, overwrought, tense, unsettled, uptight), svalnatý (beefy, brawny, muscular, sinewy, stringy), hutný (compact, concise, solid, terse), bojácný (chicken hearted, cowardly, fearful, pusillanimous, timid, weak-kneed). (various references)

   

Danish

  

nervøs (agitated). (various references)

   

Dutch

  

nerveus (agitated), zenuwachtig (agitated), zenuw- (agitated). (various references)

   

Esperanto

  

nervoza, nerva. (various references)

   

Faeroese

  

nervaveikur (agitated), fjálturstungin (agitated). (various references)

   

Farsi 

  

متشنج , عصبی مربوطبه اعصاب , عصبانی (Huffy, Mad, Maniac, Nervy, Pelting, Waxy), دستپاچه (Panicky). (various references)

   

Finnish

  

hermostunut (irritable), hermostollinen (neurological). (various references)

   

French

  

nerveux. (various references)

   

Frisian

  

senuweftich (agitated). (various references)

   

German

  

nervös (agitated, edgy, fussed, high strung, jittery, jumpily, jumpy, nervously, nervy, on edge, tense, tensely, uptight). (various references)

   

Greek 

  

νευρώδησ (pithy, sinewy, tendinous, wiry), νευρικόσ (edgy, fidgety, jerky, jittery, jumpy, nervy, neural, petulant, self conscious), νευριασμένοσ (fretful, nervy, nervy cross), νευροπαθήσ (neurotic), εκνευρισμένοσ (nervy, unstrung), ευέξαπτοσ (combustible, fretful, irascible, short tempered, temperamental, tinder box), ταραγμένοσ (abashed, agitated, confused). (various references)

   

Hebrew 

  

מעוצבן (jittery, nerve racked), עצבי (neural), עצב י (edgy, fidgety, fretful, in a stew, irritable, jerky, jumpy, liverish, peevish, short, snappish, testy, uptight). (various references)

   

Hungarian

  

ingerlékeny (be irritated, bilious, excitable, fractious, fretful, grumpy, highly strung, hot tempered, hot-tempered, ill tempered, inflammable, irascible, irritable, like a bear with a sore head, nettlesome, neurotic, peevish, peppery, perverse, petulant, prickly, techy, testy, tetchy), ideges (edgy, fazed, fidgety, flustered, have butterflies in one's stomach, have cold feet, have the needles, het up, high strung, highly strung, jittery, jumpy, migraine, nervy, neurotic, restive, restless, skittish, stroppy, to be in a tantrum, to be on edge, to feel nervous, to feel rum, to jitter, uptight, vexed), félénk (bashful, be shy, be timid, chicken hearted, chicken-hearted, coy, cringing, diffident, faint, faint-hearted, farouche, fearful, fearsome, poor spirited, self-conscious, shamefaced, sheepfaced, sheepish, shy, timid, timorous, tremulous). (various references)

   

Indonesian

  

terengah (excited, grasping for breath), senewen (have a nervous fit), kebat-kebit (agitated), gugup (groggy, jittery, panicky), gamang (afraid). (various references)

   

Italian

  

nervoso (edgy, incisive, irritable, jittery, jumpy, nervy, sinewy, tense, touchy, worked up). (various references)

   

Japanese Kanji 

  

おみ籤 (all shook up, chubby person, clog, congratulations, dressing up, flustered, in a dither, lounging about, my goodness!, my!, not to mention, oh!, oh?, sexual intercourse, vagina, written oracle), ドレス店 (a patient's call button in a hospital, Don, Don Juan, donkey, don't mind, don't-know group, draw, draw ball, drawer, drawing, drawn game, drawnwork, dress store, dresser, dressing, dressing paper, dressing room, dressmaker, dressy, drone, drop, drop goal, drop handle, drop-kick, dropout, dungarees, dwarf, game under lights, knife, knife ridge, knight, naive, Niagara, nice, nice guy, nice middle, nice shot, Nigeria, night, night cream, night game, night hospital, night latch, night show, night spot, night table, nightcap, nightclub, nightdress, nightgown, nightingale, nightmare, nightwear, Nike Hercules, Nile, Nile green, nurse, nurse bank, nurse call, nurse station, nursery, nursery tale, nylon latch, sunday, the firing of guns), 気後れ (timid), それ迄 (all together, careless, en masse, extortion, feel chilly, fidgety, in a body, in groups, in succession, like that, restless, rude, shiver, shudder, slovenly, sponging, such, that sort of, That's it, That's the end of the matter, thrill, uneasy, Until then). (various references)

   

Japanese Katakana 

  

おろおろ (all shook up, flustered, in a dither), ナーバス , きおくれ (timid), そわそわ (fidgety, restless, uneasy). (various references)

   

Korean 

  

(nerve, nerves, Neural, neuron, Neurotic). (various references)

   

Manx

  

nearagagh, imneagh (anxious, concerned, scrupulous, uneasy, worried), fehagagh, faitchagh (chicken-hearted, sheepish), er craa. (various references)

   

Norwegian

  

nervøs (agitated, excitable, fraught, jittery, jumpy). (various references)

   

Papiamen

  

nervioso (agitated). (various references)

   

Pig Latin

  

ervousnay

   

Polish

  

zdenerwowany (agitated). (various references)

   

Portuguese

  

nervoso (agitated, ajar, bustling, fiducial, fussy, hysterical, jumpy, nervy, on edge, restive, skittish, tremulant, tremulous, uptight). (various references)

   

Portuguese Brazilian

  

nervoso. (various references)

   

Romanian

  

neurastenic, nervos (fidgety, fussy, hysterical, ill natured, impatient, impatiently, irritably, irritated, jumpy, nervously, nervy, neurotic, overwrought, sinewy), viguros (bouncing, chopping, emphatic, forceful, forcible, forcibly, full-blooded, green, Hale, Hardy, hearty, hot stuff, humming, intense, lusty, pithy, potent, red blooded, robust, rude, sapful, sinewy, stalwart, stout, stoutly, strapping, strong, strong-limbed, thriving, tough, vigorous, vigorously), puternic (acute, ardent, authoritative, biting, catchy, drastic, exquisite, fierce, flush, forceful, forcible, forcibly, great, hard, heavily, heavy, high, important, intense, intensely, intensive, leonine, loud, lusty, marrowy, mighty, muscular, nervy, pithy, potent, powerful, pronounced, resistant, robust, rough, rude, searching, severe, sinewy, solid, stark, stout, strapping, strong, tough, towering, vigorous, violent, virulent), privitor la nervi, musculos (beefy, brawny, sinewy), mumschiulos, expresiv (clear, eloquent, expressive, graphic, graphical, graphically, significant, speaking, suggestive), enervant (aggravating, annoying, irksome, irritating, irritatingly, jumpy, nerve racking, vexatious), de nerv, care nu are astâmpãr, agitat (agitated, agog, angry, billowy, choppy, excited, excitedly, fevered, feverish, fractious, fretful, fussy, hectic, irritated, restless, snappish, tempestuous, unsettled). (various references)

   

Russian 

  

нервный (edgy, fussy, high-strung, jittery, jumpy, nervious, nervy, neural, neurotic, wrought-up). (various references)

   

Serbo-Croatian

  

nervozan (edgy, jittery, jumpy), nervni (neural), uzrujan (agitated, distraught, overwrought, upset), razdražljiv (crabby, grumpy, high strung, highly strung, irritable, jumpy, nervy, short tempered, techy, tetchy, waspish), živčani (neural). (various references)

   

Spanish

  

nervioso (edgy, excitable, excited, fidgety, irritable, lively, nervate, nerve, nervy, on edge, responsive, sinewy, uncool, wiry, worked up). (various references)

   

Swedish

  

nervös (agitated, fidgety, high strung, highly strung, jumpy, nervy, tense, unstrung, uptight). (various references)

   

Thai

  

เกี่ยวกับประสาท, กระวนกระวาย (fidget, gnaw, jitter). (various references)

   

Turkish

  

sinirli (apoplectic, apoplectical, bristly, choleric, discomposedly, edgy, high strung, hot-blooded, hot-headed, huffish, huffy, ill-conditioned, in a pet, irate, ireful, irritable, jumpy, liverish, mad, nervy, on edge, out of humor, out of humour, peeved, pissed off, ratty, shirty, short tempered, sinewed, sinewy, spunky, testy, uptight, waxy, wild, wrought up), sinir (fury, nerve, neural, pet, sinew, tantrum, temper), gergin (drawn, high strung, highly strung, jittery, jumpy, nervy, on a knife-edge, on edge, on pins and needles, skittish, spread, stiff, strained, stressfull, stretched, taut, tense, tight, uptight), asabi (choleric, crusty, hot-blooded, hot-headed, irritable, prickly, quick tempered, ratty, short tempered, techy, testy, waspish), asabí (agitated), ürkek (faint, fainthearted, fearful, gun-shy, jumpy, mousy, nervy, scary, shrinking, shy, skittish, timid, timorous, tremulous). (various references)

   

Ukranian 

  

із слабкимі нервами, сильний (acute, athletic, bad, bitter, bull, cordial, deep, driving, nervy, penetrating, potent, powerful, punchy, quick, sharp, smart, spanking, strong, swingeing, vehement, vigorous), що ді" на нерви, виразний (appellative, apt, articulate, audible, bold, clear, concise, eloquent, emphatic, emphatical, expressional, expressive, impressive, legible, meaningful, orotund, pronounced, pure, sharp, speaking, talking), неспокійний (anxious, bothersome, choppy, disquiet, incommodious, obstreperous, old womanish, qualmish, restive, troubled, troublous, tumultuous, uneasy, unquiet, unsettled, vexatious, worrisome), нервовий (high strung, highly strung, jittery, jumpy, nerval, nervy, neural, neurotic), нервозний (nervy), мускулястий (athletic, beefy, brawny, nervy, sinewed, sinewy), боязкий (backward, bashful, coward, dastard, dastardly, diffident, eerie, eery, faint-hearted, fearful, heartless, ovine, pavid, poor spirited, shamefaced, sheepish, spiritless, timid, timorous), дужий (beefy, bouncing, hard, hefty, iron, lusty, nervy, pretty, robust, strapping, stubbed). (various references)

   

Vietnamese 

  

khúc chiết, hay b"n ch"n có dũng khí, có khí lực (nervy), bực dọc; hay hoảng sợ; hay lo lắng. (various references)

   

Welsh

  

ofnus (afraid, apprehensive, timid). (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

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Ancestral Language Translations: Nervous

LanguagePeriodTranslations
Latin500 BCE-Modern

anxiaretur, anxiatus, trepidi, trepidum. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Derivations & Misspellings: Nervous

Derivations

Words beginning with "nervous": nervously, nervousness, nervousnesses. (additional references)


Misspellings

"Nervous" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Jervois, Navroop, Neerhout, neivous, nerous, Nervaux, nerveous, nervious, nervo, nervoes, nervosus, nervours, nervouse, nervoused, nervus, nevous, Nevros, Nevruz, norvous, Servamus. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Rhyming with "Nervous"

# of Phoneme MatchesPronunciationWord(s) rhyming with "nervous" (pronounced ner"vus)
4-er" v u sdisservice, service.
3-v u scanvas, canvass, crevice, grievous, mischievous, novice, pelvis.

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

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Anagrams: Nervous

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Words within the letters "e-n-o-r-s-u-v"

-1 letter: rouens, unrove, venous.

-2 letters: euros, nevus, nurse, ovens, overs, rouen, roues, rouse, roven, roves, runes, senor, servo, snore, verso.

-3 letters: eons, erns, eros, euro, noes, nose, nous, ones, onus, ores, ours, oven, over, revs, roes, rose, roue, rove, rues, rune, runs, ruse, sone, sore, sorn, sour, suer, sure, urns, user, voes.

-4 letters: ens, eon, ern, ers, nor, nos, nus, oes, one, ons, ore, ors, ose, our, res, rev, roe, rue, run, sen, ser, son, sou, sue, sun, uns, urn, use, voe.

-5 letters: en, er, es, ne, no, nu, oe, on, or, os, re, so, un, us.

 Words containing the letters "e-n-o-r-s-u-v"
 

+1 letter: overruns, ravenous, runovers, souvenir, uncovers.

 

+2 letters: cavernous, nervously, overburns, overfunds, overhunts, overswung, overturns, overusing, revulsion, souvenirs, supernova, turnovers, venturous, verminous.

 

+3 letters: adenovirus, endeavours, involucres, manoeuvres, outserving, overcounts, overinsure, overstrung, ravenously, rendezvous, revulsions, subversion, supernovae, supernovas, unobserved, unresolved, volunteers.

 

+4 letters: adventurous, cavernously, enterovirus, intravenous, mavourneens, nervousness, overanxious, overburdens, overconsume, overinsured, overinsures, overissuing, overnourish, oversaucing, oversudsing, oversupping, revolutions, subversions, supervision, unobservant, unobtrusive, variousness, venturesome, venturously, vertiginous, voluntaries.

 

+5 letters: adenoviruses, constructive, countermoves, countervails, counterviews, grievousness, griseofulvin, nonintrusive, nonpurposive, nonuniversal, outmaneuvers, overcautions, overconsumed, overconsumes, overdiscount, overfocusing, overgenerous, overhuntings, overindulges, overinsuring, overissuance, oversanguine, overstuffing, perviousness, previousness, ravenousness, rejuvenators, rendezvoused, rendezvouses, renovascular, revaluations, rhinoviruses, supervention, supervisions, undiscovered, unobservable, unresolvable, unresponsive, vaporousness, vigorousness, virtuousness, volunteerism.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.

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Alternative Orthography: Nervous


Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)

4E 65 72 76 6F 75 73

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)

American Sign Language (origins from 1620-1817 in Italy and, especially, France) (references)

=

Semaphore (1791, in France) (references)

Braille (1829, in France) (references)

Morse Code (1836) (references)

-.    .    .-.    ...-    ---    ..-    ...

Dancing Men (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1903) (references)

Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)

01001110 01100101 01110010 01110110 01101111 01110101 01110011

HTML Code (1990) (references)

&#78 &#101 &#114 &#118 &#111 &#117 &#115

ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)

004E 0065 0072 0076 006F 0075 0073

British Sign Language (Fingerspelling, BSL; 1992, British Deaf Association Dictionary of British Sign Language) (references)

Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)

48718488818785

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INDEX

1. Definition
2. Synonyms
3. Crosswords
4. Usage: Modern
5. Usage: Commercial
6. Images: Slideshow
7. Images: Photo Album
8. Sounds
9. Quotations: Familiar
10. Quotations: Fiction
11. Quotations: Non-fiction
12. Quotations: Spoken
13. Usage Frequency
14. Expressions
15. Expressions: Internet
16. Translations: Modern
17. Translations: Ancient
18. Derivations
19. Rhymes
20. Anagrams
21. Orthography
22. Bibliography


  

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