- Brit informal tense or apprehensive
- having or needing bravery or endurance
- US Canadian informal brash or cheeky
- archaic muscular; sinewy
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
nerv•y /ˈnɜrvi/USA pronunciation
adj., -i•er, -i•est.
nerv•i•ness, n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- brash; pushy:a nervy request for a free ticket.
- having or showing courage.
nerv•i•ness, n. [uncountable]
nerv•y
(nûr′vē),USA pronunciation adj., nerv•i•er, nerv•i•est.
nerv′i•ly, adv.
nerv′i•ness, n.
- brashly presumptuous or insolent;
pushy:a nervy thing to say; a nervy trick to pull. - having or showing courage;
brave or bold:the nervy feats of the mountaineers. - strong;
sinewy;
vigorous:a hard, nervy physique. - British Terms[Chiefly Brit.]straining one's patience or forbearance;
trying. - nervous;
excitable;
on edge.
- nerve + -y1 1600–10
nerv′i•ness, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
nervy /ˈnɜːvɪ/ adj (nervier, nerviest)