nerve-racking
adjective
nerve-rack·ing
ˈnərv-ˌra-kiŋ 
variants
or nerve-wracking
: extremely trying on the nerves
a nerve-racking ordeal
The job interview was a nerve-racking experience.
Examples of nerve-racking in a Sentence
the nerve-racking wait to learn the identities of the passengers who were killed in the plane crash
Recent Examples on the Web
The nerve-racking comedy tells the true story of Greg Cope White, whose passage through the brutal Marine Corps basic training regimen detailed in the 2015 memoir The Pink Marine serves as the basis for the series.
—
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Oct. 2025
Robinson and Kanin actually have come up with an extremely quirky, often nerve-racking and occasionally gross depiction of 2025 as a time when clear communication is being replaced by misdirection, misinterpretation, AI customer service chats and a pervasive sense of loneliness.
—Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Knowing which hospital to turn to if needed can feel nerve-racking for families.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 7 Oct. 2025
The next few weeks will prove nerve-racking yet crucial.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nerve-racking
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Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Oct. 2025
Robinson and Kanin actually have come up with an extremely quirky, often nerve-racking and occasionally gross depiction of 2025 as a time when clear communication is being replaced by misdirection, misinterpretation, AI customer service chats and a pervasive sense of loneliness.
—Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Knowing which hospital to turn to if needed can feel nerve-racking for families.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 7 Oct. 2025
The next few weeks will prove nerve-racking yet crucial.
—Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nerve-racking
Cite this Entry
“Nerve-racking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nerve-racking. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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