unnerved
un-NURVD
/ˌʌnˈnɜːrvd/
Deprived of courage, composure, or confidence; shaken and losing self-control.
Implies that an event has stripped away your usual coolness or grit, leaving you shaken.
The story behind the word. Ancient medical theory saw 'nerves' (from Latin 'nervus') as the physical sinews or cords that gave the body its vigor and courage ('nervous strength'). To 'unnerve' someone literally meant to slice their sinews, stripping them of strength. Today it means stripping away their mental nerve.
Word relationships
- rattled: Rattled is more informal and suggests momentary disorientation, while unnerved highlights loss of confidence.
- daunted: Daunted implies being intimidated by the sheer size or difficulty of a task.
- emboldened: Filled with courage or confidence to act.
- reassured: Restored to a state of calm confidence.
Commonly confused with
- enervated: Enervated means physically drained of vitality or energy, whereas unnerved means shaken in confidence.
Word family
- unnerve (verb): To make someone lose courage or confidence.
- unnerving (adjective): Causing a loss of courage or confidence; disturbing.
Collocations
- visibly unnerved
- completely unnerved
- unnerved by the silence
Idioms & expressions
- rattle one's cages
- throw someone off balance
Example sentences
- "The seasoned tennis champion looked visibly unnerved by her young opponent's ferocious serves." Sports / Competition
- "He was unnerved by the intense, unwavering stare of the stranger across the train car." Fiction
Memory hook
UN-NERVED = UN-plugged of your NERVE and courage. Stripped of your cool confidence.
When not to use
Do not use to describe physical weakness or illness; unnerved is purely psychological composure loss.
Fun facts
- The phrase 'have the nerve' comes from the same ancient concept that nerves were the physical seat of courage!
Related words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.