1
as in wise
displaying or marked by rude boldness
the nervy waiter held up the small tip and called out to the departing customers, "Hope it doesn't break the bank!"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in adventurous
inclined or willing to take risks
nervy rock climbers wanting to make gravity-defying ascents
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in nervous
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
I'm a little nervy about my first job interview
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nervy
Michigan had been scuffling along, needing overtime to beat Wake Forest and surviving a nervy 67-63 game at TCU before coming to Las Vegas.
—
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
In perhaps its biggest coup, the show managed to bag the talents of the Prince of Darkness Nick Cave and his regular Bad Seeds cohort Warren Ellis, with their nervy, atmospheric score proving once again that few are better at conjuring suspense.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
Forest to secure a narrow and entirely nervy 1-0 win.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026
A couple of long range bombs from Braun served as the exclamation point in the final minutes as Minnesota turned a nervy deficit into a commanding lead and eventually gutty win.
—Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nervy
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
In perhaps its biggest coup, the show managed to bag the talents of the Prince of Darkness Nick Cave and his regular Bad Seeds cohort Warren Ellis, with their nervy, atmospheric score proving once again that few are better at conjuring suspense.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
Forest to secure a narrow and entirely nervy 1-0 win.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2026
A couple of long range bombs from Braun served as the exclamation point in the final minutes as Minnesota turned a nervy deficit into a commanding lead and eventually gutty win.
—Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nervy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nervy
Adjective
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Policymakers, especially here in Tokyo, would be wise to accept more foreign workers to plug labor gaps, but that’s not a durable answer on its own.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
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Steinberg believes the fit will work out well football wise and business wise.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Meanwhile, be aware that the next six years will bring urges to impulsively travel, and do exciting things to give yourself an adventurous world.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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Zoo staff describe the little one as adventurous with a confident demeanor.—
Ryan Brennan
April 24,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In the draft room, Bisciotti looked nervous as the pick approached, worried another team — or even his own GM — might snag Randall.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Some nervous Democrats and their allies worry that language could thwart installation of a Democratic majority in the next Congress.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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From cheeky shots of celebrities like Jane Fonda and Arnold Schwarzenegger to extravagant, sensual portfolios of America’s Olympic squads, the magazine’s pantheon of photographers have helped to define the genre of sports portraiture.—
Jonathan Pace,
Vanity Fair,
26 Apr. 2026
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Then get ready to make new friends over a cheeky drink with conversations that will last long after the sun goes down.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Talk about a daring and devilish move.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Apr. 2026
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Saad Yousuf shared his 10 favorite value picks (and the most daring reaches).—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
So how worried should these teams be?—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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People that maybe have a more precarious position in the industry and are worried and see AI as a threat — which is absolutely valid — and younger people, younger actors and musicians.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The six draft picks are listed in bold.—
Josh Kendall,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The bold, eye-catching top boasts a longline design, much like the exercise styles of the early 2000s, and the colorblock finish is the icing on the cake.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Rutina Wesley recurs as Desiree Grant, a no-nonsense entertainment journalist known for her fearless approach and exposing problematic high-profile figures.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
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His fearless explorations provided context that brought relevance, intimacy and urgency to our relationship with music.—
Rachel DeSantis,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nervy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nervy. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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