1
2
3

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective nervous contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of nervous are energetic, lusty, strenuous, and vigorous. While all these words mean "having or showing great vitality and force," nervous suggests especially the forcibleness and sustained effectiveness resulting from mental vigor.

full of nervous energy

When is energetic a more appropriate choice than nervous?

Although the words energetic and nervous have much in common, energetic suggests a capacity for intense activity.

an energetic campaigner

When might lusty be a better fit than nervous?

While in some cases nearly identical to nervous, lusty implies exuberant energy and capacity for enjoyment.

a lusty appetite for life

When is it sensible to use strenuous instead of nervous?

While the synonyms strenuous and nervous are close in meaning, strenuous suggests a preference for coping with the arduous or the challenging.

the strenuous life on an oil rig

When can vigorous be used instead of nervous?

The meanings of vigorous and nervous largely overlap; however, vigorous further implies showing no signs of depletion or diminishing of freshness or robustness.

as vigorous as a youth half his age

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nervous One bizarre experience in particular had left several of them somewhat nervous. Karen Hao, Wired News, 21 May 2025 His mom wanted to host a big party at the house, but Brock, nervous and overwhelmed, insisted that the gathering be kept small unless and until he was actually drafted. Michael Silver, New York Times, 20 May 2025 The amino acid plays a role in many bodily processes, from supporting the nervous and immune systems to regulating cellular function. Jamie Ducharme, Health, 20 May 2025 This summer, Charlie Brown is determined to make his final year at camp special, but Sally — a noob camper — is nervous about the new and unfamiliar place. Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for nervous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nervous
Adjective
  • However, because the pool was shallow, Lisberg was less worried.
    Raven Brunner, People.com, 25 May 2025
  • There are signs that some in Israel are worried about the consequences of its actions in Gaza.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • Today, hydrogen bombs have replaced atom bombs in most arsenals, creating a world of uneasy standoffs among nuclear foes.
    William J. Broad, New York Times, 19 May 2025
  • But the vote was not unanimous and left Councilman Kevin O’Neill feeling uneasy.
    Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • Groups of excitable teenage boys waited their turn to play EA FC on a bank of massive flat screen TVs.
    James Montague, New York Times, 18 May 2025
  • Wisner was an excitable workaholic, like a squirrel pointlessly leaping in all directions.
    Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 15 May 2025
Adjective
  • In the novel’s historical re-creation, is there an anxious note to Americans now losing themselves in accommodation?
    David Denby, New Yorker, 23 May 2025
  • An inaccurate diagnosis might lead to unnecessary or risky treatment, and a false positive can cause stress by requiring additional tests and anxious waits for results.
    Max Votek, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • Denzel Washington confronts photographer in tense moment at Cannes Film Festival Watson did not scrimp in the glamour department for her 2013 Cannes debut either.
    Edward Segarra, USA Today, 23 May 2025
  • The posts tee up a potentially tense exchange between U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and his European counterpart later Friday morning.
    Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • Santa Margarita 6, Huntington Beach 5: Chase Marlow singled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning to give the Eagles an upset over Sunset League champion Huntington Beach.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
  • Tuchman and Chang also address fans who are particularly upset about Nick's arc this season.
    EW.com, EW.com, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • Nothing has officially happened yet, but the tension is disturbing with the consequences potentially devastating.
    Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2025
  • That’s a quite disturbing possibility since AGI could wield such an act on a scale of immense magnitude and with globally adverse consequences.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • However, those apprehensive about near-term volatility should contemplate suitable strategies, such as the Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio strategy, featuring a selection of 30 stocks, that has a history of comfortably outperforming the S&P 500 over the previous four-year span.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
  • Tammy, 38, was apprehensive about her younger sister's quick engagement.
    Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 14 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nervous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nervous. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on nervous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!