What is the phrase nerve-wracking?
What is the phrase nerve-wracking?
: extremely trying on the nerves a nerve-racking ordeal The job interview was a nerve-racking experience.
Does nerve-wracking have aw?
The most correct and original way to spell this word is nerve-racking (no ‘w’). Nerve-wracking is an accepted alternative spelling. However, some purists may consider this variant incorrect. Nerve-wracking and nerve-racking are both found in American and British English content.
Is the phrase nerve-wracking or nerve-racking?
Nerve-racking and nerve-wracking are alternate spellings of the same adjective, referring to something stressful or anxiety-inducing. Nerve-racking is the common word preferred to describe stressful situations while wrack means damage and destruction and unless you are talking about damage, nerve-racking is to be used.
Is it wrack or rack your brain?
The spelling ‘rack’ is now used in all senses except for the seaweed called wrack. So it’s “rack and ruin,” … “racking my brains,” and so on. Some other usage guides provide a way of dealing with this question that has a certain brutal charm: just stop using the word wrack.
Is nerve wracking one word?
“Nerve-racking” is the original and correct spelling of this phrase, which describes something that makes you extremely nervous. “Nerve-wracking” is a widely-used and well-established variant spelling. Many editors and usage dictionaries find it acceptable, but purists and prescriptivists consider it an error.
Is nerve wracking formal?
How do you use nerve wracking in a sentence?
Nerve-wracking sentence example
- It was nerve wracking not to know what was happening.
- You can get up close in a flat-bottomed skiff – but prepare yourself for a pretty nerve-wracking experience.
- Asking someone to dance is always nerve-wracking, whether you’re a boy or a girl.
Is it wracking my brain?
The expression “to go to wrack and ruin” means to fall into a state of decay or destruction. The written form “wrack one’s brains” is, therefore, incorrect.
What does racking your brain mean?
to think very hard
: to think very hard in order to try to remember something, solve a problem, etc. I’ve been racking my brain, but I can’t remember his name.
How do doctors check for nerve damage?
A nerve conduction velocity (NCV) test — also called a nerve conduction study (NCS) — measures how fast an electrical impulse moves through your nerve. NCV can identify nerve damage. During the test, your nerve is stimulated, usually with electrode patches attached to your skin.
Which is the correct spelling nerve racking or nerve wracking?
Merriam-Webster defines the word “nerve-racking” as an adjective, meaning “extremely trying on the nerves.” The dictionary provides “nerve-wracking” as a variant spelling.
Where does the word Wrack come from in English?
Wracking comes from the verb “wrack,” which means to ruin, destroy, or cause damage to something—it’s a close synonym of the word wreck. It’s mostly archaic now, so you’re not likely to come across it in modern writing. Racking, on the other hand, comes from the verb “rack,” which has multiple meanings.
What can you use instead of nerve wracking?
If you want to avoid writing the phrase nerve-wracking, with or without the “w,” you can use one of its synonyms. You can say, for example, that something is trying or difficult. But you can also use words like distressing or daunting. Stressful might also be a good synonym; even annoying might work.
Is there such a thing as nerve racking?
Sometimes, it feels as if we experience stressful situations—or at least worry about them—every day of our lives. Thus, it is no surprise that we have many words to describe things that cause us unease. One of these words, nerve-racking, describes something that causes a great deal of stress or anxiety.