Standard Lemma guide

nervously

adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: N ER1 V AH0 S L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a nervous manner; feeling or displaying nervousness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He paced nervously as he waited for the important phone call.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

in an anxiously nervous manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • we watched the stock market nervously

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

with nervous excitement

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • our bodies jumped nervously away at the slightest touch

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English nervous Middle English -ly English -ly English nervously From nervous + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: nerviosament — in a nervous manner
  • Danish: nervøst — in a nervous manner
  • Esperanto: nervoze — in a nervous manner
  • Finnish: hermostuneesti — in a nervous manner
  • French: nerveusement — in a nervous manner
  • Galician: nerviosamente — in a nervous manner
  • Georgian: ნერვიულად (nerviulad) — in a nervous manner
  • German: nervös — in a nervous manner
  • German: erregbar — in a nervous manner
  • German: gereizt — in a nervous manner
  • German: hektisch — in a nervous manner
  • German: unruhig — in a nervous manner
  • Italian: nervosamente — in a nervous manner
  • Norman: nèrveusement — in a nervous manner
  • Polish: nerwowo — in a nervous manner
  • Portuguese: nervosamente — in a nervous manner
  • Russian: не́рвно (nérvno) — in a nervous manner
  • Slovak: nervózne — in a nervous manner
  • Spanish: nerviosamente — in a nervous manner