Nervy means: Strong; sinewy.. The word is mostly archaic or historical; you will only encounter it in old texts, period drama, or school history rather than current teen conversation. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Seen in the wild
4 citations · last seen May 2026
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
im going to a seamstress !! so umm im kinda nervy but it wont rly do much for me soo oh well,, its sad i cant rly skip this.. i honestly just wanna stay home 😓😓
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BlueskyMay 2026
A decent half, elevated by a perfectly timed goal. Mostly in control, the counters are dangerous but rare. Not many nervy moments (except the constant underlying existential dread), and created a few decent openings…
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BlueskyMay 2026
Very tight match but we just edged it. Crucial Saka goal just before halftime. Lewis-Skelly excellent again. Some nervy passes between our keeper & defensive units. We need another goal. #Arsenal
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BlueskyMay 2026
Yeah, I worry a bad result tonight sees us get nervy for West Ham away which is already going to be a cauldron.
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Definitions
UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK
(archaic) Strong; sinewy.
She has been asked on a date to see The Barber of Seville in the company of society’s wealthiest and most eligible bachelor, the Hon Jeremy Malcolm (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) who is bored by her nervy and untutored chatter.
For parents
Nervy means: Strong; sinewy.. The word is mostly archaic or historical; you will only encounter it in old texts, period drama, or school history rather than current teen conversation. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
nervy means: Strong; sinewy.. Register: archaic, historical. Almost never used today; you will find it only in older texts, dictionaries of dialect, or historical writing. Avoid in active vocabulary. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Cluster: general
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK
(British) Feeling nervous, anxious or agitated.
Blackpool continue to thrive on the adrenalin rush of the end-of-season shoot-out and are heading for a second Wembley date in two years after negotiating a nervy path past Birmingham.
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UK
#3·Apr 27, 2026UK
(US) Having nerve; bold; brazen.
It takes a nervy man to promulgate such stuff, and Ted Nelson has made a career out of being nervy.
Heard in the wild
“im going to a seamstress !! so umm im kinda nervy but it wont rly do much for me soo oh well,, its sad i cant rly skip this.. i honestly just wanna stay home 😓😓”
— Bluesky· May 2026“A decent half, elevated by a perfectly timed goal. Mostly in control, the counters are dangerous but rare. Not many nervy moments (except the constant underlying existential dread), and created a few decent openings. Not loads, but enough”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Very tight match but we just edged it. Crucial Saka goal just before halftime. Lewis-Skelly excellent again. Some nervy passes between our keeper & defensive units. We need another goal. #Arsenal”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Yeah, I worry a bad result tonight sees us get nervy for West Ham away which is already going to be a cauldron.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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UK
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