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nerve

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word nerve different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of nerve are audacity, cheek, chutzpah, effrontery, gall, hardihood, and temerity. While all these words mean "conspicuous or flagrant boldness," nerve, cheek, gall, and chutzpah are informal equivalents for effrontery.

the nerve of that guy
has the cheek to call herself a singer
had the gall to demand proof
the chutzpah needed for a career in show business

Where would audacity be a reasonable alternative to nerve?

The words audacity and nerve are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, audacity implies a disregard of restraints commonly imposed by convention or prudence.

an entrepreneur with audacity and vision

When is it sensible to use effrontery instead of nerve?

Although the words effrontery and nerve have much in common, effrontery implies shameless, insolent disregard of propriety or courtesy.

outraged at his effrontery

When could hardihood be used to replace nerve?

In some situations, the words hardihood and nerve are roughly equivalent. However, hardihood suggests firmness in daring and defiance.

admired for her hardihood

When is temerity a more appropriate choice than nerve?

The synonyms temerity and nerve are sometimes interchangeable, but temerity suggests boldness arising from rashness and contempt of danger.

had the temerity to refuse

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nerve
Noun
Despite Higgins and Lynch’s initial nerves, Best in Show received rave reviews, boasting a 93 percent freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 5 July 2025 Your delivery guy, your nerves, and your future self will all thank you. Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 4 July 2025 For some adults, further assessments like bone density scans or nerve conduction studies may be necessary to complete the diagnostic picture. Richard Menger Md Mpa, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025 The nerves were palpable throughout before Vondroušová streaked away with the deciding set, taking the match 7-6 (12-10), 4-6, 6-2. Leon Imber, New York Times, 22 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for nerve
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nerve
Noun
  • Ignoring the reason Fernandes Anderson won’t be back to join her former colleagues made for some moments of head-smacking irony and sheer gall.
    Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 27 June 2025
  • Queen, not yet a high school upperclassman, showed some gall.
    Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • Ethical Memory Vault: A secure story engine that records acts of moral courage—feeding these back into leadership training, AI models and onboarding systems.
    Shekar Natarajan, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
  • Hutchins later credited Jenner with giving her the courage to make the same transition.
    Martha Ross, Mercury News, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • As school districts brace for budget shortfalls, communities await a decision that could reshape access to education and enrichment nationwide.
    Amanda Castro Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
  • Inflation data Stock futures were higher before the bell on Tuesday as investors braced for June’s consumer price index, due in at 8:30 a.m. ET.
    Josephine Rozzelle, CNBC, 15 July 2025
Noun
  • Putin’s arrogance in wanting total Ukrainian surrender could prove his downfall, if only Trump sticks to his position.
    Daniel Fried, Time, 15 July 2025
  • The arrogance wasn’t hers alone; many people have tried to assign the Tully monster a place in the tree of life since it was first discovered 70 years ago.
    Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 8 July 2025
Noun
  • Her bravery, poise, and care are an example to not only her campers but to all of us.
    David Chiu, People.com, 7 July 2025
  • For her bravery, she was later honored as Righteous Among the Nations.
    Linda Ambrus Broenniman, Baltimore Sun, 3 July 2025
Verb
  • Both cow's milk and oat milk may be fortified with vitamins A and D, so check the label for vitamin content.8 Vitamin A: Helps to keep the skin and eyes healthy.
    Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 12 July 2025
  • Khan, by contrast, is being tasked with a narrower but highly strategic mission: fortifying Apple's supply chain, localizing production, and driving environmental accountability.
    Nate Bennett, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • Other stories of heroism have begun to surface as the floodwaters recede in Texas.
    Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2025
  • Amid the chaos, acts of heroism stood out: men who hoisted children over animal chutes, staff who moved the animals and tried to restore calm, police officers and firefighters who arrived on the scene to help.
    Jordan Friedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2025
Verb
  • Because the World Cup will be played in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, those countries have been spared an arduous qualifying competition — tense games that would have steeled them for the tournament ahead.
    Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2025
  • The founders of Chime trudged into Amino Capital's bare-bones office early one Saturday morning in the summer of 2013, steeling themselves for disappointment.
    Stephen Pastis, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Nerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nerve. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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