📒 any of the long fibres that carry messages between the brain and parts of the body, enabling you to move, feel pain, etc.
- the optic nerve
- He's off work with a trapped nerve in his neck.
- Every nerve in her body was tense.
📒 feelings of worry or stress
- Even after years as a singer, he still suffers from nerves before a performance.
- I need something to calm my nerves.
- to settle/soothe/steady your nerves
📒 the courage to do something difficult or dangerous
- It took a lot of nerve to take the company to court.
- I was going to have a go at parachuting but lost my nerve at the last minute.
- He held his nerve to win the final set 6–4.
📒 a way of behaving that other people think is rude or not appropriate
- I don't know how you have the nerve to show your face after what you said!
- He's got a nerve asking us for money!
- ‘Then she demanded to see the manager!’ ‘What a nerve!’
📒 to be very nervous
- By the time of the interview, I was a bundle of nerves.
📒 to annoy somebody
- That music is starting to get on my nerves.
- It really gets on my nerves when people talk loudly on the phone in public.
- His endless whining really gets on my nerves.
📒 to be able to remain calm in a difficult or dangerous situation
- You need nerves of steel to be a good poker player.
📒 to mention a subject that makes somebody feel angry, upset, embarrassed, etc.
- You touched a raw nerve when you mentioned his first wife.
- My remarks about divorce had unwittingly touched a raw nerve.
- The article struck a raw nerve as it revived unpleasant memories.
📒 to try as hard as you can to do something
- He strained every nerve to snatch victory from defeat.
📒 to have a strong effect
- His work strikes a nerve with people who are attracted to nostalgia.
- It seems I struck a nerve with my last post about cell phones.
- Nissan may well strike a popular nerve here.
📒 an attempt to defeat your opponents by putting pressure on them so that they lose courage or confidence
- The union has been fighting a war of nerves with the management over pay.