nervous worried or a little frightened about something and unable to relax:
Kelly was so nervous about her exam that she couldn’t sleep. It makes me nervous when you drive that fast.tense worried and unable to relax in a way that makes you get angry or upset easily:
Mary’s problems at work were making her tense and irritable.uneasy nervous because you feel that something bad might happen, so that you are unable to relax until the danger has passed:
I began to feel uneasy when he still hadn’t phoned by 11 o'clock.on edge if you are on edge or your nerves are on edge, you feel nervous because you are worried about what might happen:
My nerves were on edge, waiting for the results of the test. Redundancies and other work upheavals have put employees on edge.neurotic nervous and anxious in a way that is not normal or reasonable:
She’s completely neurotic about food hygiene. a neurotic motheredgy/jumpy/jittery nervous because you are worried about what might happen:
Investors are a little edgy about the financial markets these days. There was a lot of pressure on the team tonight and that’s why they were a little jumpy.highly-strung British English,
high-strung American English becoming nervous or upset easily because that is your character:
Like many musicians, he’s very sensitive and highly-strung.be a nervous wreck to feel extremely nervous and unable to relax:
After 10 months of teaching, I was a total nervous wreck.have butterflies (in your stomach) informal to feel nervous about something that you are going to do very soon because it is important and you want to do it well:
Actors often have butterflies before going on stage. [TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲
on edge adj. phr. Excited or nervous; impatient.
The magician kept the children on edge all through his show. We were all on edge as we listened to the TV for news of the election results. Father was on edge after driving home through the heavy holiday traffic. See: SET ONE'S TEETH ON EDGE.
Antonym: AT EASE
2.
[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲