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nervousness

nervousness

36 2.7
A feeling of being worried or anxious
  • noun
  • /ˈnɜrvəsnəs/
translation icon : nerviosismo
  • Her nervousness was evident as she waited for the interview to begin.
  • anxiety and nervousness
  • worry and nervousness
  • tension and nervousness

The other way is they try to overcome their nervousness by overcompensating.

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Examples

  • As soon as the curtain opens, the nervousness vanishes.

  • Is there any intimidation, anxiousness, nervousness about being a part of something so big?

  • And there is, uh, always, um, nervousness of going out.

  • Do you want to go outside and take some of this nervousness away?

  • Some stated that this was due to nervousness and that they would get used to it over time.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Nervousness gets all of us, I get it.

  • Well, Pat, everyone is in a state of nervous, uh, a state of nervousness just waiting for the decision to come down.

  • The second student gave an entertaining speech on nervousness and how to cure it.

    Academic text (1992)
  • And so when it finally comes to be, there's a lot of excitement and nervousness and emotions.

  • Another teacher commented that hearing colleagues admit their initial nervousness or feelings of awkwardness helped build her confidence.

    Academic text (2013)

Synonyms

tension
vsnervousness
509 3.2

A feeling of nervousness and anger between people or inside a person

is the simple feeling of worry that may be short lived
anxiety
vsnervousness
423 3.5

A worried, nervous feeling that makes you unable to relax

is a more general, usually less persistent feeling of worry or unease
apprehension
vsnervousness
32 4.4

A feeling of fear or worry that something bad may happen

is the general sense of worry not tied to a feared event
trepidation
vsnervousness
23 8.1

A feeling of fear or worry about something that may happen

is the general worried state without specific fear or hesitation
unease
vsnervousness
19 4.4

A feeling of worry and not being relaxed

is a wider feeling of worry or anxiousness beyond brief discomfort
uneasiness
vsnervousness
14 3.6

A worried, uncomfortable feeling when you cannot relax

is the general state of worry or anxiousness rather than situational discomfort
heebie-jeebies
vsnervousness
  • Slang
9 9.9

A strong nervous or scared feeling that makes you feel uneasy

is the standard feeling of worry without that intense jumpiness
anxiousness
vsnervousness
3 3.8

A feeling of worry and nervousness before an event or about the future

is the broader feeling of being worried or uneasy in general
tenseness
vsnervousness
1 4.9

A feeling of nervous worry and stress

is the basic feeling of worry rather than prolonged mental strain
nerves
vsnervousness
1 3.4

A feeling of being nervous or calm when under pressure

focuses on the feeling alone rather than calmness ability
jitteriness
vsnervousness
1 6.9

A feeling of nervousness that makes you shake or move a lot

refers mainly to the inner feeling of being worried without actions
edginess
vsnervousness
1 6.0

A feeling of nervousness and tension that makes you easily annoyed

is a purer sense of worry without the added irritability
uncomfortableness
vsnervousness
1 6.0

A feeling of being uneasy or awkward

is the emotional worry component without necessarily physical discomfort
jitters
vsnervousness
  • Informal
1 5.5

A strong nervous feeling that often comes before an important event

is the general state of being worried rather than event focus
jumpiness
vsnervousness
1 5.9

Being nervous and easily scared by small noises or movements

is the emotional state that may not include startled reactions
twitchiness
vsnervousness
1 6.0

A nervous, restless state when a person makes small sudden movements

is the inner feeling of worry without the restless movements
tremulousness
vsnervousness
8.8

A feeling of nervousness that makes your hands or voice shake

is the emotional worry that may not show as physical shaking
apprehensiveness
vsnervousness
7.4

A feeling of worry or fear about something that might happen

is the broader uneasy feeling not always about future threats
insecureness
vsnervousness
6.8

Feeling unsure and worried about safety or the future

is the immediate feeling of worry rather than long term insecurity

Antonyms

456 2.1

A belief that you can do something well

9 2.7

A state without strong feelings or worry in your mind

How Nervous

anxiety
423 3.5
nervousness
36 2.7
unease
19 4.4

Surface Forms

nervousness singular
nervousnesses plural

Morphology

nervousness = nervous (transparent) = nerv + ous + ness

The noun is a regular nominalization of the adjective 'nervous' with the productive suffix '-ness', so its meaning is directly derived from the adjective.

Etymology

Nervousness comes from the Latin word nervus, which meant 'sinew' or 'nerve', and it is the same root as the English word nerve. So, nervousness is the state of your 'nerves' being active, meaning you feel worried or uneasy.