nervous

/ˈnər-vəs/

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French nervus, nervous, borrowed from Latin nervōsus "full of tendons, sinewy, tough, vigorous (of a person or literary style)," from nervus "sinew, muscle, " + -ōsus -ous

adjective

  1. timid, apprehensive

  2. easily excited or irritated : jumpy

  3. of or relating to the nerves; also : originating in or affected by the nerves

a nervous smile

… so nervous that he had to be escorted outside court to vomit …

vigorous energetic strenuous lusty nervous mean having or showing great vitality and force. vigorous further implies showing no signs of depletion or diminishing of freshness or robustness. energetic suggests a capacity for intense activity.

noun

  1. an attack of mental or emotional disorder especially when of sufficient severity to require hospitalization

noun

  1. a person or animal that tends to be timid or anxious

She is a world-class worrier, a change-avoider and, by her own admission, a bit of a nervous Nellie.