Foundation level · Year 4 · free
nervous
adjective · Say it: NUR-vuhs
What it means
Foundationworried or a little afraid about something that might happen
Isla felt nervous before her piano exam, but she played beautifully.
Similar and opposite words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- anxious
- jittery
- uneasy
- worried
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- calm
- confident
- relaxed
More examples
- The new boy looked nervous on his first day, so we asked him to play.
Where the word comes from
From the Latin word 'nervosus', meaning sinewy, from 'nervus', a nerve.
Try a quick question
One question about “nervous”, the way 11+ papers ask it (Foundation level).