different between nervous vs uneasy

English

Etymology

From Middle English nerv?us (“containing nerves; made up of nerve-like fibres; of or relating to nerves; containing sinews or tendons, sinewy; affecting sinews or tendons”), from Latin nerv?sus (“nervous; sinewy; energetic, vigorous”), from nervus (“nerve; muscle; sinew, tendon; (figuratively) energy, power; nerve; force, strength, vigour”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *snéh?wr? (“sinew, tendon”)) + -?sus (suffix meaning ‘full of, prone to’ forming adjectives from nouns). The English word is analysable as nerve +? -ous.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?n??v?s/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?n??v?s/
• Hyphenation: nerv?ous

Adjective

nervous (comparative more nervous, superlative most nervous)

1. Of sinews and tendons.
   1. (obsolete) Full of sinews. [14th–18th c.]
   2. (obsolete) Having strong or prominent sinews; sinewy, muscular. [15th–19th c.]
   3. (obsolete) Of a piece of writing, literary style etc.: forceful, powerful. [17th–19th c.]
      • 1788, Frances Burney, Journals & Letters, Penguin 2001, p. 264:

        Nervous, clear, and striking, was almost all that he uttered […].

2. Of nerves.
   1. Supplied with nerves; innervated. [from 14th c.]
   2. Affecting the nerves or nervous system. [from 15th c.]
   3. (botany, obsolete) Nervose. [17th–18th c.]
   4. Easily agitated or alarmed; edgy, on edge. [from 18th c.]

      Synonyms: excitable, high-strung, hypersensitive; see also Thesaurus:nervous
   5. Apprehensive, anxious, hesitant, worried. [from 18th c.]

      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:nervous

      Antonyms: calm, relaxed

Derived terms

Related terms

• nervosity

Translations

Notes

References

Further reading

• nervous (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• nervous in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• nervous in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?i?zi/
• Hyphenation: un?easy
• Rhymes: -i?zi

Etymology 1

From Middle English unesy, equivalent to un- +? easy. Merged with Middle English unethe, uneathe (“difficult, not easy”). See uneath.

Adjective

uneasy (comparative uneasier, superlative uneasiest)

1. (rare) Not easy; difficult.

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English unesy, unaisie (“not comforting”), from un- + esy (“comfortable, at ease”). More at easy.

Adjective

uneasy (comparative more uneasy or uneasier, superlative most uneasy or uneasiest)

1. Restless; disturbed by pain, anxiety

   I've been uneasy about your friend ever since I met him. Are you sure we can trust him?

2. Not easy in manner; constrained

   Synonyms: stiff, awkward, ungraceful

   He was behaving in an uneasy way.

3. Causing discomfort or constraint

Synonyms

(restless): : See Thesaurus:nervous

Related terms

• unease

Translations