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nerves

noun US /nɜːrvz/

an uneasy psychological state

How often you will meet it

Rank 2,773 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 5,989 times across 175,160 chapters — 0.003% of every word in the library.

What it means

noun

  1. an uneasy psychological state also: nervousness he suffered an attack of nerves
  2. control of your emotions this kind of tension is not good for my nerves

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

nerves in real books

Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.

  • It steadied my nerves to look at him.

    The Reflections of Ambrosine: A Novel · Elinor Glyn · Chapter 1

  • In response to those intolerable words Bobby's sick nerves stretched too tight.

    The Abandoned Room · Wadsworth Camp · Chapter 1

  • But the short talk with Richardson had set all his over-strained nerves on edge.

    The great amulet · Maud Diver · Chapter 1

  • It was too much of a novelty, and the vibrations touched his supersensitive nerves annoyingly.

    The Soul of a Child · Edwin Björkman · Chapter 1

  • For Destiny never swerves Nor yields to men the helm; He shoots his thought, by hidden nerves, Throughout the solid realm.

    Poems Household Edition · Ralph Waldo Emerson · Chapter 1

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