nervousness

/ˈnɜːvəsnəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈnɜːrvəsnəs/ (ame, ipa)

nervousness — noun

1. the worried, unsettled feeling you get when you expect something difficult, risk

1.名詞B2
釋義

the worried, unsettled feeling you get when you expect something difficult, risky, or embarrassing to happen

例句

Jessica felt a wave of nervousness before walking onto the stage.

a wave of nervousness before an event

Bao's nervousness showed when he kept checking the departure board.

nervousness + showed when ...

同義詞
  • anxiety

    often deeper or more lasting, and can sound more formal or clinical

  • tension

    can include physical tightness as well as mental strain

  • apprehension

    more formal; often used when someone is uneasy about a specific future event

反義詞
  • calm

    a state of feeling settled rather than worried

  • confidence

    the opposite feeling of being sure and ready instead of uneasy

文法句型

nervousness about + thing

nervousness before + event

用法筆記

Usually uncountable when it means the feeling in a tense moment or before an event. For a person's usual temperament, see sense 2.

常見錯誤

❌The students' nervousnesses were obvious before the exam.
✅The students' nervousness was obvious before the exam.
💡This sense is usually uncountable, so it normally does not take a plural form.
❌I had a nervousness before the interview.
✅I felt nervousness before the interview.' or 'I was nervous before the interview.
💡This feeling is usually expressed without 'a/an'.

2. a personal tendency to become worried, frightened, or easily upset even in ordin

2.名詞C1
釋義

a personal tendency to become worried, frightened, or easily upset even in ordinary situations

例句

Felix's nervousness makes him jump whenever the phone rings unexpectedly.

nervousness + makes + person + verb

Even as a child, Mert's nervousness kept him awake before school trips.

同義詞
  • timidity

    broader; suggests lack of courage as well as easy fear

  • jumpiness

    more informal; emphasizes sudden startled reactions

  • diffidence

    more formal; stresses lack of self-confidence more than physical nerves

反義詞
  • composure

    steady self-control instead of being easily unsettled

  • self-confidence

    a stable belief in yourself rather than habitual nervousness

文法句型

someone's nervousness

nervousness + makes + person + verb

用法筆記

Usually uncountable. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense describes part of someone's character, not the nerves felt in one particular moment.

常見錯誤

❌Her nervousness about tonight's speech is part of her personality.
✅Her nervousness about tonight's speech is only temporary.' / 'She has a nervous temperament.
💡A one-time fear before an event belongs to sense 1, not this trait sense.
❌He has a nervousness character.
✅He has a nervous temperament.' or 'He is naturally nervous.
💡Use 'nervousness' as the quality itself, not directly before another noun.