Meaning & use
nerveless
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparableliteraryformal
Calm and confident, especially in a difficult or frightening situation.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: a nerveless performance; she stayed nerveless.
Patterns
- stay nerveless
- remain nerveless
- a nerveless performance
She gave a nerveless speech in front of the whole school.
Even when the plane shook, the pilot remained nerveless.
His nerveless handling of the crisis impressed everyone.
adjectivenot comparableliterary
Lacking strength, energy, or feeling; weak and limp.
Grammar: Often describes a body part or a movement: her nerveless fingers; a nerveless handshake.
Patterns
- nerveless fingers
- nerveless hand
- go nerveless
After the long climb, his legs felt nerveless and heavy.
She held the cup in a nerveless hand and almost dropped it.
The cold made my fingers nerveless.
Common combinations
- remain nerveless
- The team remained nerveless during the final minutes.
- a nerveless performance
- It was a nerveless performance under great pressure.
- nerveless fingers
- His nerveless fingers could not untie the knot.
Synonyms and how they differ
- calm
- Calm is the everyday word for not being upset; nerveless is more literary and often suggests courage under pressure.
- composed
- Composed means calm and in control, but it does not carry the literary feel of nerveless.
- limp
- Limp fits the 'weak and without strength' sense; nerveless can also mean calm, so they are not always interchangeable.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: nerveless or nervous? nerveless or nerve-racking?
nerveless vs nervous
Nervous means worried or anxious, while nerveless means calm and confident (or weak). They can seem opposite, so check the context.
nerveless vs nerve-racking
Nerve-racking describes something that makes you nervous, not a person who is calm.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'nerveless' correctly to mean 'calm and confident'?
Choose one answer.
'Nerveless' can mean calm and confident, so 'kept her hands steady' fits. Options A, B, and D describe nervousness, which is the opposite of this sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nerveless”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.