NERVOUS1 nervous2 to be nervous3 someone who is often or always nervous4 a feeling of being nervous5 a situation in which people feel nervous6 to make someone feel nervousRELATED WORDSsee alsoWORRIED/WORRYINGFRIGHTENED/FRIGHTENINGSHYCLUMSYCONFIDENT/NOT CONFIDENTEMBARRASSED/EMBARRASSING1 nervous 紧张的nervous /ˈnɜːʳvəs/ [adjective] Bill looked nervous, and I could see his hands were shaking. 比尔看上去很紧张，我看到他的手都在发抖。！nervous about Kelli was so nervous about her exam that she couldn't sleep. 凯莉很担心考试，紧张得不能入睡。 I'm a little nervous about leaving the kids at home all alone. 把孩子单独留在家里，我有点担心。 Many investors are nervous about their investments after the recent drop in the stock market. 最近股市下滑，许多投资者都为自己的投资担心。make somebody nervous It makes me nervous when you drive that fast. 你开得那么快，使我很紧张。nervously [adverb] He was pacing nervously up and down the room. 他紧张地在房间里踱来踱去。nervousness [uncountable noun] She tried to hide her nervousness, but it was clear she wasn't comfortable making the speech. 她试图掩饰自己的紧张，但是她发表讲话的时候显然很不自在。tense /tens/ [adjective]so worried about something that you cannot relax, and you easily get angry or upset 紧张的 I always feel tense after driving all day. 开了一整天的车以后，我总是感到很紧张。 Mary's problems at work were making her tense and irritable. 工作上的问题使玛丽紧张易怒。 You seem awfully tense - why don't you have a drink and try to relax? 你看上去非常紧张—喝杯东西放松放松吧。tensely [adverb] Everyone waited tensely for the winner's name to be announced. 每个人都紧张地等待着宣布胜出者的名字。jumpy/jittery /ˈdʒʌmpi, ˈdʒɪtəri/ [adjective]very nervous so that you are unable to relax and are easily surprised by sudden sounds or movements 神经紧张的；易受惊吓的 The dogs are jumpy tonight - I wonder if there's something outside. 今天晚上狗很烦躁—我怀疑外面是不是有什么东西。 She was getting jumpy thinking about the trip. 她想到这次旅行，心里就不安起来。 I was feeling extremely jittery - all I wanted was to leave the bar as quickly as possible. 我心里极度不安—只想尽快地离开酒吧。 Investors are jittery due to uncertainty about interest rates. 由于利率的不稳定，投资者心里很紧张。on edge /ɒn ˈedʒ/ [adjective phrase]if someone ison edge or if their nerves areon edge, they are nervous and likely to become angry or upset very easily 紧张易怒的，焦躁不安的 Jerry had had a hard day and his nerves were on edge. 杰里累了一天，神经很紧张。 As reports of robberies continued to appear in the press, the whole community was increasingly on edge. 有关抢劫的报道持续地见诸报端，整个社会都越来越紧张。uneasy /ʌnˈiːzi/ [adjective]nervous that something bad might happen, so that you feel anxious and unable to relax until the danger has passed 〔因某坏事可能发生而〕不安的，担心的 There's something I don't trust about him. He makes me feel very uneasy. 我对他有不信任的地方，他让我感到非常不安。 It was the same uneasy feeling he'd experienced that morning when he saw the police car outside. 他又有那种不安的感觉，就像那天早上他看到警车停在外面的时候一样。uneasy about Rebecca was already beginning to feel uneasy about accepting the stranger's offer of a ride. 丽贝卡接受陌生人的邀请坐上了他的车，现在已经开始惴惴不安起来。uneasily [adverb] Boyd glanced around uneasily. ‘Do you think anyone is watching us?’ 博伊德不安地看了一下周围说：“你觉得有人在监视我们吗？”uneasiness [uncountable noun] She looked at the clock with growing uneasiness - he was already two hours late. 她看着钟，心里越来越不安一他已经迟到两小时了。panicky /ˈpænɪki/ [adjective]very nervous and anxious about something, especially when you are in a dangerous situation that you cannot control or change 惊恐的，慌乱的〔尤身处不能控制或改变的危险处境中〕 I began to feel panicky, sure that I was going to miss the train. 我开始心慌了，肯定赶不上火车了。 ‘Is he really dead?’ Abe asked in a panicky voice. “他真的死了吗？”阿贝语带惊慌地问道。 After waiting for him for two hours, Lorna got panicky and called the police. 洛娜等了他两个小时之后就慌乱起来，于是报了警。2 to be nervous 紧张have butterflies /hæv ˈbʌtəʳflaɪz/ [verb phrase not in progressive]informalto feel nervous about doing something that you are going to do very soon because it is important and you want to do it well 【非正式】紧张不安，心神不定〔因快要做的事非常重要而又希望把它做好〕 Some actors never have butterflies before going on stage. 有些演员上台前从不紧张。have butterflies in your stomach It was the morning of the World Cup Final and most of the players had butterflies in their stomachs. 那个上午是世界杯决赛，大部分球员心里都七上八下。be a nervous wreck /biː ə ˌnɜːʳvəs ˈrek/ [countable noun]if someoneis a nervous wreck, they have been made so nervous that they have completely lost all their confidence and their ability to remain calm or think sensibly 神经极度紧张 Before the plane took off she was a nervous wreck - she had to be strapped into her seat. 飞机起飞前，她神经极度紧张—只得把自己系在座位上。 Even though I'd been practicing for months, by the day of the competition I was a nervous wreck. 虽然我练习了好几个月，但是到了比赛的那天，我还是紧张得要命。be a bundle of nerves /biː ə ˌbʌndl əv ˈnɜːʳvz/ [verb phrase]informalto be so nervous that you are shaking and you find it impossible to behave calmly, especially for a long time 【非正式】〔尤指长时间地〕神经极度紧张 Since she lost her job Rosie's been a bundle of nerves. 罗茜自失业后一直心神不宁。 Harry was a bundle of nerves the whole time his wife was in the hospital. 妻子住院期间，哈利一直心烦意乱。3 someone who is often or always nervous 经常或总是紧张的人nervous /ˈnɜːʳvəs/ [adjective only before noun]someone who is often or always worried and frightened that something unpleasant may happen 神经质的 She's such a nervous child we don't like to leave her on her own. 她是个神经质的孩子，我们不想把她一个人留下。 Mr Darby was a mild, nervous man who seemed to expect people to ignore him. 达比先生是个性情温和而又神经质的人，他好像希望人们不去注意他。highly-strungBritish/high-strungAmerican /ˌhaɪli ˈstrʌŋ◂, ˌhaɪ ˈstrʌŋ◂/ [adjective]always nervous and unable to relax, especially so that you react in a very extreme way to ordinary situations 神经质的；易激动的 Mark's a little high-strung, so go easy on him. 马克有点神经质，所以要对他宽容一点。 Her main problem is that she is very highly-strung which tends to make other people feel nervous too. 她的主要毛病是非常神经质，往往把别人也弄得很紧张。uptight /ʌpˈtaɪt/ [adjective]informalunable to be relaxed about life in general, so that this makes you seem unfriendly and unhappy 【非正式】神经过敏的，紧张的；心情焦躁的 He tries to be kind, but he always seems a little uptight. 他想表示友好，但总是显得有点紧张。 She's one of those narrow-minded, uptight people who think that for a work of art to be great it can't be pleasurable. 她是那种思想狭隘、一板一眼的人，认为伟大的艺术作品不是让人轻松愉快的。4 a feeling of being nervous 紧张的感觉nerves /nɜːʳvz/ [plural noun]the feeling of being nervous because you are worried or a little frightened about something, especially if this feeling is likely to affect your behaviour or performance 情绪不安；紧张；焦虑 Normally she's very relaxed and amusing. It must be nerves. 一般她都很放松，而且很风趣，这次肯定是紧张了。a case/attack of nerves She had a sudden attack of nerves and refused to go to see the dentist. 她突然感到一阵紧张，不肯去看牙医了。calm/steady etc your nervestry to relax 稳定情绪 Arnie had a drink before the meeting to steady his nerves. 开会之前，阿尼喝了一杯酒放松紧张的心情。suffer from nervesBritish Although a competent teacher, he suffers from nerves when the students behave badly. 尽管他是个能干的老师，但是学生表现不好时，他就会很焦虑。tension /ˈtenʃən/ [uncountable noun]a feeling of being nervous and unable to relax, especially before something is about to happen 紧张〔尤因某事即将发生〕 Her voice trembled with tension. 她紧张得声音都发抖了。tension is highpeople feel very nervous 非常紧张 The tension was high in Mexico as the day of the decision approached. 裁决的时间一天天逼近，墨西哥的气氛非常紧张。tension mountspeople feel more and more nervous 越来越紧张 A crowd gathered and tension mounted till the riot broke out. 人群聚集起来，气氛越来越紧张，骚乱终于爆发了。5 a situation in which people feel nervous 人们感到紧张的情形tense /tens/ [adjective]a tense situation makes people feel nervous and anxious, especially because they are worried about what might happen next or what someone might do 引起紧张的〔尤因担心下一步可能发生什么或某人会做什么〕 There was a tense silence, and then everyone began to laugh. 一阵紧张的沉默过后，大家都笑了起来。 The negotiations became increasingly tense as the weeks went by. 一周又一周过去了，谈判变得越来越紧张。 The journey through the mountains went well even though there were a few tense moments when the car skidded. 虽然汽车几次打滑让人紧张，山中的旅途还是非常顺利。 When someone mentioned Andy's time in prison, the atmosphere grew tense. 有人说到安迪坐牢的时候，气氛变得紧张起来。strained /streɪnd/ [adjective]a situation that isstrained makes people feel nervous, embarrassed, and uncomfortable, and unable to behave naturally 〔情形〕令人紧张的；令人尴尬的；令人不自在的 After the argument there was a strained silence. 争吵之后大家都默不作声，气氛很不自然。 Since my father's affair things have been very strained between him and my mother. 自从父亲有了外遇之后，他和母亲之间的关系就非常紧张。 The strained atmosphere at the dinner made it difficult to chat with people. 饭桌上气氛很紧张，所以很难跟人聊起来。uneasy /ʌnˈiːzi/ [adjective only before noun]a situation that isuneasy makes people feel a little nervous because they are uncertain about what will happen next or what someone might do 〔情形因不确定而〕令人紧张不安的 After the speech there was an uneasy silence and nobody clapped. 演讲结束之后席上一片寂静，令人很不自在，也没人鼓掌。 Since the two sides declared a ceasefire, there has been an uneasy calm throughout the region. 双方宣布停战以后，整个地区都有种令人不安的平静。unsettling /ʌnˈsetlɪŋ/ [adjective]anunsettling situation makes you feel slightly nervous and unable to relax or concentrate completely 令人不安的 The weather forecast was unsettling - we had nowhere to go if a really big storm hit. 天气预报令人不安一要是有很大的暴风雨，我们就无处可去。 Greenspan delivered more unsettling news about the economy the next day. 第二天，格林斯潘发布了更令人不安的经济消息。nailbiting /ˈneɪlbaɪtɪŋ/ [adjective only before noun]anailbiting situation is so exciting that it makes you nervous, especially because you are waiting for a result or decision 令人焦虑的，令人神经紧张的〔尤因在等待结果或决定〕 Waiting to become a father is one of the most nailbiting situations a man can face. 等待做父亲是男人最着急的时刻。nailbiting finish With three minutes left, the World Cup Final is set for a nailbiting finish. 还有三分钟，世界杯决赛就要在紧张的气氛中结束了。nerve-wracking /ˈnɜːʳv ˌrækɪŋ/ [adjective]anerve-wracking situation makes you feel very nervous because it is difficult or frightening 〔因困难或可怕而〕令人紧张不安的，使人提心吊胆的 Your first appearance on stage is always a nerve-wracking experience 第一次上台总是会让人紧张的。 Trying to keep track of all those little kids at the same time must be pretty nerve-wracking. 同时要照看这么多小孩子一定是很伤脑筋的事。charged /tʃɑːʳdʒd/ [adjective usually before noun]acharged situation or subject makes people feel very nervous and is likely to cause arguments or violence 〔情形或话题〕令人非常紧张的，可能引起激烈反应的 Abortion is still a very emotionally charged issue in the U.S. 堕胎在美国依然是一个非常容易引起强烈情绪的话题。highly charged In a highly charged press conference, Armstrong defended his attack on the children. 在一个火药味很浓的新闻发布会上，阿姆斯特朗为自己攻击儿童的事作了辩护。charged atmosphere The already charged atmosphere erupted into violence when police told the crowd to disperse. 警察叫人群散开，这时本已紧张的气氛突然爆发成暴力冲突。6 to make someone feel nervous 使某人感到紧张make somebody nervous /ˌmeɪk somebody ˈnɜːʳvəs/ [verb phrase] Have you seen the way he looks at people? He makes me nervous. 你看到他看人的那副样子吗？他让我感到紧张。 Don't watch me while I'm typing - it makes me really nervous. 别看着我打字—这让我很紧张。 Thunder and lightning always make the horses nervous. 雷鸣和闪电总是会把马匹弄得紧张不安。unsettle /ʌnˈsetl/ [transitive verb]if somethingunsettles you, it makes you feel slightly nervous and unable to relax or concentrate completely 使心绪不宁，搅乱…的心神 Ted's angry outbursts unsettled the whole family. 特德的突然发怒使得全家人都诚惶诚恐。 The threat of war has been enough to unsettle international oil traders. 战争的威胁足以引起国际油商的不安。 She was still recovering from the accident so he avoided any subjects which might unsettle her. 她还没从事故中恢复过来，所以他避免提起任何会令她不安的事。unnerve /ˌʌnˈnɜːʳv/ [transitive verb]to make someone very nervous, especially by shocking or surprising them 使紧张不安；使心慌意乱 Moore had been extremely unnerved by the FBI's visit. 穆尔被联邦调查局人员的来访弄得心神不定。 The daily news stories of the worsening economy unnerved the nation. 每天都有新闻报道说经济形势在恶化，令全国惊恐不安。unnerving [adjective] a bizarre and unnerving crime 一桩奇怪而令人惶恐的罪行psych out /ˌsaɪk ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]to try to make someone, especially someone you are competing against in a game, lose their confidence and their ability to remain calm 令〔尤指比赛对手心烦意乱；使丧失信心psych out somebody McEnroe often used his bad behaviour in difficult tennis matches to psych out his opponent. 遇到难赢的网球比赛，麦肯罗常常会大发脾气，以此令对手心烦意乱。psych somebody out Whenever we play chess Bill tries to psych me out by smirking every time I make a move. 每次我们下棋，我每走一步，比尔都得意地笑笑，想把我吓倒。put somebody on edge /ˌpʊt somebody ɒn ˈedʒ/ [verb phrase]to make someone feel very nervous so that they cannot relax 使某人感到焦虑不安 Trying to keep the plan a secret put us all on edge. 这个计划要保密，弄得我们大家都很紧张。 Layoffs and work upheavals have put many employees on edge, both at work and at home. 裁员、工作的不稳定，使得许多雇员不管是在工作上还是在家庭方面都感到紧张不安。