nerveuse

Nerveuse is the feminine form of the French adjective nerveux, used to describe someone or something marked by nervousness, tension, or agitation. In everyday usage, it commonly refers to a person who is anxious, jumpy, or easily unsettled, as in elle est nerveuse avant l’examen (she is nervous before the exam). It can also describe a situation or atmosphere that feels tense or unstable, for example une situation nerveuse during a crisis.

Etymology and forms: the word derives from the same root as nervus (nerve) in Latin. The sense of relating to nerves or to a heightened state of nervous energy gave rise to the figurative use meaning anxious or irritable. French adjectives agree in gender and number; nerveuse is the feminine singular form, with nervueux as the masculine singular, nervueux/nerveux in many contexts, and the plural nerveuses for feminine or nervieux for masculine.

Usage notes: nerveuse emphasizes temperament or mood rather than a medical condition. It contrasts with masculine nerveux, which would describe a masculine subject, and with nerveux, which can also carry connotations of irritability or timidity depending on context. In literary or descriptive writing, nerveuse may appear in phrases like une personnalité nerveuse or une ambiance nerveuse to convey emotional charge or tensile pressure.

See also: nervo- as a prefix in medical terminology; nervation and neurology terms in French; related adjectives such as nerveux and nerveuse in gender agreement.