Meanings
comparative more nerve-wracking · superlative most nerve-wracking
- alternativeproscribedAlternative form of nerve-racking.
Wow... That was nerve-wracking. Well, I'm off!
2005 October 17, Nintendo, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Nintendo GameCube, scene: The character Rolf uses the 'Escape' command to leave the map, level/area: Chapter 10: Prisoner Release2 more examples
To thrust this grating, screeching, nerve wracking, heart-rending, worse than Pandemonial howling, upon such an occasion, is the climax of cruelty.
1867 June 28, “Marriage Sermons and Serenades”, in The Guardian, page 172One could hardly commend any of these nerve-wracking exploits; [...].
1960 June, Cecil J. Allen, “Locomotive Running Past and Present”, in Trains Illustrated, page 368
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveextremely irritating to the nerves
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
1867, following earlier nerve-racking (1812).
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
nerve-wracking. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nerve-wracking
“nerve-wracking.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nerve-wracking. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nerve-wracking,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nerve-wracking.
Source: nerve-wracking on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.