- nerve-racking
-
or nerve-wracking
adjective
Date: 1812
extremely trying on the nerves <a nerve-racking ordeal>
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
nerve-racking
Look at other dictionaries:
nerve-racking — nerve .racking adj nerve wracking a nerve racking situation makes you feel very nervous or worried ▪ Speaking in public can be a nerve wracking experience. ▪ Fran faced a nerve racking wait for her test results … Dictionary of contemporary English
nerve-racking — erve racking (n[ e]rv r[a^]k [i^]ng), adj. Extremely irritating to the nerves; stressful; trying; as, nerve wracking noise. [Also spelled {nerve wracking}.] Syn: stressful, trying. [WordNet 1.5] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
nerve-racking — (adj.) also nerveracking, 1812, from NERVE (Cf. nerve) + prp. of verbal sense of RACK (Cf. rack) (n.1) … Etymology dictionary
nerve-racking — nerve wracking UK / US or nerve racking UK [ˈnɜː(r)v ˌrækɪŋ] / US [ˈnɜrvˌrækɪŋ] adjective making you very nervous or worried … English dictionary
nerve-racking — is the preferred spelling in BrE, although AmE also allows nerve wracking … Modern English usage
nerve-racking — (also nerve wracking) ► ADJECTIVE ▪ stressful; frightening … English terms dictionary
nerve-racking — or nerve wracking [nʉrv′rak΄iŋ] adj. very trying to one s patience or equanimity; causing irritation or exasperation … English World dictionary
nerve-racking — [adj] distressing aggravating, annoying, disquieting, disturbing, exasperating, irksome, irritating, maddening, stressful, taxing, tense, trying, upsetting; concepts 548,565 … New thesaurus
nerve-racking — adjective extremely irritating to the nerves nerve racking noise the stressful days before a war a trying day at the office • Syn: ↑nerve wracking, ↑stressful, ↑trying • Similar to: ↑ … Useful english dictionary
nerve-racking — also nerve wracking ADJ GRADED A nerve racking situation or experience makes you feel very tense and worried. The women and children spent a nerve racking day outside waiting while fighting continued around them... It was more nerve wracking than … English dictionary
nerve-racking — /nerrv rak ing/, adj. extremely irritating, annoying, or trying: a nerve racking day; a nerve racking noise. Also, nerve wracking. [1805 15] * * * … Universalium
