raw nerve

noun

Something about which one is uncomfortable or unconfident, which causes strong reaction when discussed or otherwise addressed.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounraw nerve (plural raw nerves)

plural raw nerves

  1. Something about which one is uncomfortable or unconfident, which causes strong reaction when discussed or otherwise addressed.
    1 more example

    When this last lover took off with all my power tools, I was outraged although I much wanted to act like it didn't matter, and I have embarrassed everyone around me by complaining about the phone bill, etc. I know that I am definitely not supposed to talk about this in any article, which is why I am doing it. These are the raw nerves under our mistrust of one another. […] When I try to fight about money with over class [i.e. higher-class] lovers I've already lost and I know it.

    1990 February 4, Chrystos, “Headaches And Ruminations”, in Gay Community News, volume 17, number 29, page 9
Cite this entry
APA

raw nerve. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/raw%20nerve

MLA

“raw nerve.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/raw%20nerve. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “raw nerve,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/raw%20nerve.

Source: raw nerve on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.