nerve
gb/nˈɚv/ us/nˈɚv/
B1
Engleză
~ 8400
Sensuri
0 sensuri
Substantiv
B1
state
1
courage to do something hard
The feeling of being brave enough to do something that is difficult or scary.
Tipar de utilizare:
to have the nerve to [do something]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning with the medical meaning related to the body. In sentences like 'He has a lot of nerve', it refers to courage, not to the physical nerves in the body.
Sinonime
courage (More general and neutral; does not carry the slightly informal tone that 'nerve' can have.)
Antonime
cowardice (Shows a lack of courage or nerve in the face of difficulty or danger.)
Colocații
have the nerve
|find the nerve
|summon the nerve
|show some nerve
|lack the nerve
Teme
emotions
|character
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- He finally found the nerve to ask his boss for a raise.
- I didn't have the nerve to speak in front of five hundred people.
- She showed a lot of nerve starting her own business right after college.
- Do you have the nerve to go bungee jumping off that bridge?
- It takes real nerve to tell the truth when everyone else is lying.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- He got the nerve to talk to her.
- I do not have the nerve to jump into the cold water.
- She needed some nerve to move to another country alone.
- They had the nerve to start a new shop during a bad year.
- You must have nerve to sing on stage.
Substantiv
informal
B2
property
2
rude or shocking boldness
The way of doing something that is very rude or bold, so that other people feel angry or surprised.
Tipar de utilizare:
to have the nerve to [do something]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may think this meaning is positive, like 'courage'. In informal speech, 'have the nerve to' often shows anger or disapproval, meaning someone was rude or shameless, not brave in a good way.
Sinonime
cheek (Informal British English for rude boldness; 'nerve' is more general and widely used.)
Antonime
respect (Shows polite care for other people’s feelings, the opposite of rude boldness.)
Colocații
have the nerve
|the nerve of [someone]
|of all the nerve
|some nerve
|no nerve
Teme
emotions
|social_behavior
|relationships
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- He had the nerve to cut in front of everyone in the line.
- I can't believe she had the nerve to ask for more money after coming in late every day.
- The delivery company lost my package and then had the nerve to charge me again.
- You’ve got a lot of nerve talking to your parents like that.
- Of all the nerve, calling me lazy after I did all the work!
Exemple pentru cursanți
- He had the nerve to take my seat on the bus.
- She had the nerve to shout at the teacher.
- They lost my bag and then had the nerve to blame me.
- You have some nerve speaking to me like that.
- He did not say sorry but had the nerve to laugh.
Substantiv
B1
state
3
feelings of anxiety or tension
A feeling of worry and fear that makes your body and mind feel tense.
Tipar de utilizare:
[someone]'s nerves
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes think 'nerves' here refers to the physical body parts only. In phrases like 'calm my nerves' or 'a bundle of nerves', it means feelings of worry or tension, not the medical structures.
Sinonime
anxiety (More formal and medical; 'nerves' is common in everyday speech for temporary tension or worry.)
Antonime
calm (Describes a relaxed state without nervous tension.)
Colocații
calm [someone]'s nerves
|steady your nerves
|a bundle of nerves
|stage nerves
|on edge
Teme
emotions
|health
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- Before the exam, her nerves were so bad that she couldn't eat breakfast.
- He smoked a cigarette to calm his nerves before the interview.
- The long wait in the hospital was getting on everyone’s nerves.
- On opening night he was a bundle of nerves backstage.
- A short walk helped steady my nerves after the accident.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- Her nerves were very bad before the test.
- I drink tea to calm my nerves in the evening.
- His nerves make his hands shake before he speaks.
- Waiting for the doctor hurt my nerves.
- Music helps my nerves when I feel stressed.
Substantiv
B2
entity
4
body fiber carrying signals
A long, thin part inside your body that carries messages between your brain and the rest of your body.
Tipar de utilizare:
a nerve in [a body part]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes mix this meaning with the emotional sense. In medical or scientific contexts, 'nerve' usually refers to the physical structure, not feelings of fear or courage.
Sinonime
nerve fiber (More technical phrase; 'nerve' alone is the common everyday term.)
Antonime
muscle (Not a strict logical antonym, but a common contrasting type of body tissue; muscles move the body, nerves carry signals.)
Colocații
nerve damage
|nerve cells
|nerve endings
|optic nerve
|pinched nerve
Teme
health
|science
|biology
|body
Exemple
- The dentist said the toothache was caused by an inflamed nerve.
- She suffered nerve damage in her arm after the accident.
- The doctor explained that the optic nerve sends signals from the eye to the brain.
- A pinched nerve in his back made it painful to walk.
- They are studying how nerve cells repair themselves after injury.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- The cut went deep and hurt a nerve.
- He has pain because a nerve in his leg is damaged.
- The optic nerve carries messages from the eye to the brain.
- The doctor says a nerve in my neck is tight.
- Nerve cells send signals through the body.
Substantiv
B2
entity
5
emotionally sensitive point or issue
A subject or idea that makes someone feel upset, angry, or hurt when you talk about it.
Tipar de utilizare:
to touch a nerve with [someone]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners may think 'touch a nerve' is about physical pain. In this sense, it is emotional: you make someone feel strong emotions because the subject is sensitive for them.
Sinonime
sore point (Common phrase for a subject that easily upsets someone; 'nerve' suggests an emotional trigger in a similar way.)
Antonime
safe topic (A subject that does not cause emotional pain or anger when discussed.)
Colocații
touch a nerve
|hit a nerve
|strike a nerve
|expose a raw nerve
Teme
emotions
|communication
|relationships
Exemple
- His joke about unemployment touched a nerve with many listeners.
- The article about corruption clearly hit a nerve in the community.
- When I mentioned her parents, I must have struck a nerve.
- The film touched a nerve by showing the real lives of low‑paid workers.
- Her comment about money hit a nerve, and the room went quiet.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- The story about divorce touched a nerve with him.
- My question about his job loss hit a nerve.
- Talking about children is a nerve for her; it makes her sad.
- The news report on rent prices struck a nerve with young people.
- Your joke about his weight hit a nerve and hurt him.
Verb
literary
C1
action
6
to give courage or brace
To make yourself or another person feel brave enough to do something hard or unpleasant.
Tipar de utilizare:
to nerve [yourself/someone] for [something]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners rarely use 'nerve' as a verb and may think it is always a noun. It is mainly used in written or literary English and often with a reflexive object: 'nerve yourself'.
Sinonime
brace (Often used reflexively ('brace yourself'); slightly more common in modern English than 'nerve' as a verb.)
Antonime
discourage (Means to make someone lose confidence or courage, the opposite of 'nerve'.)
Colocații
nerve yourself
|nerve himself
|nerve herself for
|nerve themselves to
Teme
emotions
|behavior
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- He nerved himself to knock on the door and ask for forgiveness.
- She nerved herself for the difficult conversation with her boss.
- I nerved myself to jump into the icy water.
- They nerved themselves to walk back into the courtroom.
- She took a deep breath, nerved herself, and stepped onto the stage.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- He nerved himself to speak to the manager.
- She nerved herself for the long test.
- I nerved myself and told him the bad news.
- They nerved themselves to enter the dark room.
- She nerved herself to ask a hard question.
Gramatică
Forma de dicționar
nerve
IPA
GB/nˈɚv/
US/nˈɚv/
Silabe și accent
nerve (1 silabă)
Stress on 1st syllable (nerve)
Forme ale cuvântului
Noun
- Base: nerve
- Plural: nerve, nerves
Verb
- Base: nerve
- 3rd Person Singular: nerves
- Present Participle: nerving
- Past: nerved
Familie de cuvinte
Forms
nerves
noun
nerving
verb
nerved
verb
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
unnerve
verb C1
unnerving
adjective
Advanced or less common
Expresii
a bundle of nerves
1/ə bˈʌndəl əv nˈɚvz/
idiom
person who is very nervous
A person who feels extremely nervous and tense.
Exemple
- Before the exam, I was a bundle of nerves.
- She walked into the interview a bundle of nerves.
- He’s always a bundle of nerves before a big game.
a bundle of nerves
1/ə bˈʌndəl əv nˈɚvz/
idiom
informal
extremely nervous person
A very nervous person.
Exemple
- She was a bundle of nerves before the presentation.
- After the near miss, he was a bundle of nerves for hours.
- I’m a bundle of nerves when I have to fly.
calm someone's nerves
1/kˈɑm sˈʌmwˌʌnz nˈɚvz/
fixed phrase
make someone less nervous
To make someone feel less worried or tense.
Exemple
- A short walk helped calm her nerves before the speech.
- He drank a glass of water to calm his nerves.
- Talking to a friend can calm your nerves before an exam.
have the nerve to
1/hˈæv ðə nˈɚv tə/
fixed phrase
be brave or bold enough
To be brave or bold enough to do something, often something difficult or something that may seem rude or shocking.
Exemple
- I finally had the nerve to tell her how I felt.
- How did you have the nerve to lie to their faces?
- He didn’t have the nerve to ask for more time.
lose your nerve
1/lˈuz jˈʊɹ nˈɚv/
idiom
suddenly lose courage
To suddenly feel too afraid to do something that you had planned to do.
Exemple
- He was going to jump, but he lost his nerve at the last second.
- She almost called him but lost her nerve and hung up.
- Don’t lose your nerve now; you’ve come this far.
of all the nerve
1/əv ˈɔl ðə nˈɚv/
idiom
informal
complaint about someone's nerve
Used to say that someone’s behavior is very rude or shocking.
Exemple
- Of all the nerve, asking me for a favor after what you did!
- She took my seat and then, of all the nerve, told me to move.
- Of all the nerve, he blamed us for his mistake.
pluck up the nerve
1/plˈʌk ˈʌp ðə nˈɚv/
fixed phrase
gather enough courage
To slowly get enough courage to do something that is difficult or scary.
Exemple
- She finally plucked up the nerve to apply for the job.
- It took me weeks to pluck up the nerve to speak to my neighbor.
- He plucked up the nerve and asked her out.
steady your nerves
1/stˈɛdi jˈʊɹ nˈɚvz/
fixed phrase
make yourself calmer
To make yourself feel calmer and more in control when you are nervous.
Exemple
- He took a deep breath to steady his nerves.
- She sipped some water to steady her nerves before the performance.
- I need a moment to steady my nerves.
touch a nerve
1/tˈʌt͡ʃ ə nˈɚv/
idiom
cause a strong emotional reaction
To say or do something that makes someone feel strong emotions because the subject is very sensitive for them.
Exemple
- His remark about money clearly touched a nerve.
- The film touched a nerve with many viewers who had similar experiences.
- You seem upset; did my comment touch a nerve?
get on someone's nerves
1/ɡˈɛt ˈɔn sˈʌmwˌʌnz nˈɚvz/
idiom
annoy or irritate someone
To annoy someone again and again so that they feel tense or angry.
Exemple
- Her constant complaining is getting on my nerves.
- His constant humming is really getting on my nerves.
- He gets on my nerves when he talks during movies.
- The traffic noise got on her nerves after a while.
- Stop tapping your pen; it's getting on everyone's nerves.
nerves of steel
1/nˈɚvz əv stˈil/
idiom
extreme calm under pressure
Having a very strong ability to stay calm and not afraid in very difficult or dangerous situations.
Exemple
- A pilot needs nerves of steel to land in such conditions.
- Pilots need nerves of steel to handle emergencies.
- She showed nerves of steel during the crisis.
- You must have nerves of steel to work in an emergency room.
- The negotiator showed nerves of steel during the crisis.
nerves of steel
1/nˈɚvz əv stˈil/
idiom
stay calm under pressure
To stay calm in scary situations.
Exemple
- You need nerves of steel to do that job.
- She showed nerves of steel in the final seconds of the match.
- He has nerves of steel when everyone else panics.