nerve — OAT · Shobdo

nerve

noun

1 the nerves that transmit pain and physical feeling:

nerve fiber;

technical axon.

2 the match will be a test of nerve, strength, and skill:

self-confidence, confidence, assurance, self-assurance, coolness, coolheadedness, self-possession;

courage, bravery, pluck, pluckiness, boldness, courageousness, braveness, intrepidity, intrepidness, fearlessness, valor, daring, dauntlessness, doughtiness, gameness;

determination, strength of character, firmness of purpose, will power, spirit, backbone, fortitude, mettle, heart, endurance, tenacity, resolution, resoluteness, stout-heartedness, steadfastness, staunchness, hardihood;

informal grit, guts, spunk, gumption, gutsiness;

British, informal bottle, ballsiness;

North American, informal moxie, cojones, sand;

vulgar slang balls.

▷antonyms timidity, faint-heartedness.

3 he had the nerve to try and pick up the casting director at his first audition:

audacity, cheek, barefaced cheek, effrontery, gall, temerity, presumption, presumptuousness, boldness, brazenness, impudence, impertinence, insolence, pertness, forwardness, front, arrogance, cockiness;

informal face, neck, brass neck, brass, sauce;

North American, informal chutzpah;

informal , dated hide;

British, informal , dated crust;

rare procacity, assumption.

▷antonyms shyness, bashfulness; politeness.

4 (nerves) an attack of pre-wedding nerves:

anxiety, tension, nervousness, nervous tension, strain, tenseness, stress, worry, cold feet;

apprehensiveness, apprehension, jumpiness, fright;

informal butterflies (in one's stomach), collywobbles, the jitters, the willies, the heebie-jeebies, the shakes, the jumps, jim-jams, the yips;

British, informal the (screaming) abdabs/habdabs;

Australian, rhyming slang Joe Blakes.

▷antonyms calmness, nonchalance.

□ get on someone's nerves

irritate, annoy, irk, anger, bother, vex, provoke, displease, upset, exasperate, infuriate, gall, get/put someone's back up, put out, pique, rankle with, nettle, needle, ruffle someone's feathers, stroke someone's hair the wrong way, make someone's hackles rise, try someone's patience;

jar on, grate on;

British rub up the wrong way;

informal aggravate, get, get to, bug, miff, peeve, rile, get under someone's skin, get in someone's hair, hack off, get someone's goat;

British, informal nark, get on someone's wick, give someone the hump, wind up, get across, get up someone's nose;

North American, informal rankle, ride, gravel;

vulgar slang piss off;

British, vulgar slang get on someone's tits;

rare exacerbate, hump, rasp.

verb

□ nerve oneself

Morag nerved herself to go on:

brace oneself, steel oneself, summon/gather/screw up/muster one's courage, screw one's courage to the sticking place, gear oneself up, prepare oneself, get in the right frame of mind;

fortify oneself, bolster oneself;

informal psych oneself up;

literary gird (up) one's loins.

▷antonyms lose one's nerve.

word links	nerve
neural relating to nerves in the body neur(o)- related prefix neuritis inflammation of a nerve neurology, neuropathology, neurosurgery branches of medicine to do with the nerves neurectomy surgical removal of a nerve neurotomy surgical cutting of a nerve