Antonyms for nerve

Grammar : Noun, verb

Spell : nurv

Phonetic Transcription : nɜrv

Definition of nerve

Origin : late 14c., nerf "sinew, tendon," from Old French nerf and directly from Medieval Latin nervus "nerve," from Latin nervus "sinew, tendon; cord, bowstring," metathesis of pre-Latin *neuros, from PIE *(s)neu- "tendon, sinew" (cf. Sanskrit snavan- "band, sinew," Armenian neard "sinew," Greek neuron "sinew, tendon," in Galen "nerve"). Sense of "fibers that convey impulses between the brain and the body" is from c.1600.
Secondary senses developed from meaning "strength, vigor, energy" (c.1600), from the "sinew" sense. Hence figurative sense of "feeling, courage," first attested c.1600; that of "courage, boldness" is from 1809; bad sense "impudence, cheek" is from 1887. Latin nervus also had a figurative sense of "vigor, force, power, strength," as did Greek neuron. From the neurological sense come Nerves "condition of nervousness," attested from 1792; to get on someone's nerves, from 1895. War of nerves "psychological warfare" is from 1915.

noun daring, boldness
verb strengthen, hearten

Example sentences :

I wonder you got the nerve to sit there now with maybe ten men trailin' you to this cabin.
Extract from : « Way of the Lawless » by Max Brand

There he stood for a moment, and Andrew knew that he was gathering his nerve.
Extract from : « Way of the Lawless » by Max Brand

There aren't three men in the country with the nerve and the hand for it.
Extract from : « K » by Mary Roberts Rinehart

She had come through so much that every nerve was crying in passionate protest.
Extract from : « K » by Mary Roberts Rinehart

"Now stop this nerve strain and this foolishness," he said tersely.
Extract from : « Her Father's Daughter » by Gene Stratton-Porter

It is the signal "all is well," passed from one nerve cell to another.
Extract from : « The Call of the Twentieth Century » by David Starr Jordan

It was nearly all for Monny; but Monny must not know, lest she should lose her nerve when it was needed most.
Extract from : « It Happened in Egypt » by C. N. Williamson

He waited, every nerve and fibre of him tense for her answer.
Extract from : « The Fortune Hunter » by Louis Joseph Vance

"He's got nerve—I'll say that much for him," she observed aloud, and went on.
Extract from : « Good Indian » by B. M. Bower

You have supposed Mr Meagles and his family to strain every nerve, I think you said—'
Extract from : « Little Dorrit » by Charles Dickens

Synonyms for nerve

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019