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Glite Dictionary
to nerves jangle

to nerves jangle

2 8.4
To feel very worried and unable to relax
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
: estar nervioso
  • His nerves jangle before every important presentation.

Examples

  • She felt her nerves jangle as she waited for the test results.

  • She felt her nerves jangle at the prospect of flying down that hill.

    Blog text (23)

  • His nerves jangled; he imagined fish with large teeth swarming down there.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • I could feel my nerves jangle when I realized I had forgotten my lines.

Synonyms

in a tizzy
vsto nerves jangle
  • Informal
5 8.6

Feeling very nervous and confused about something

is feeling anxious tense and on edge from stress or anticipation

Antonyms

calm
106 1.0

A quiet, peaceful feeling that helps you stay steady

relaxation
53 1.6

A calm, stress-free state when you rest or enjoy free time

How Nervous

to panic
381 2.3
to nerves jangle
  • Informal
2 8.4
tense
247 3.6
nervous
∞ 1.3
on edge
  • Informal
79 4.3
uneasy
92 3.2

Surface Forms

nerves jangle infinitive
nerves jangled past
nerves jangled past participle
nerves jangling present participle
nerves jangles third person singular

Morphology

nerves + jangle

The expression links 'nerves' (anxiety) with 'jangle' (a discordant rattling sound) by a sound-to-feeling metaphor, so a learner who knows both words can plausibly infer a sense of agitation or being on edge. However, the mapping from a literal noisy sound to an internal emotional state is figurative and somewhat idiomatic, so the meaning is not fully predictable without exposure.

Etymology

Nerves jangle gives the image of thin metal or small bells that jangle. They hit each other and make a sharp, annoying sound that makes you jump. When that sound hits your nerves, they feel tense and shaky, so the phrase means 'to feel anxious or on edge'.