English, baby!

nervous wreck

Date: Mar 25 2004

Quote

1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.

“God, I’ve been a nervous wreck about the whole thing. Being from Michigan and Detroit, it’s like Bob Seger is shot into your veins as a kid. We were just raised on it. I just wanna make everyone from the hometown proud and really give him his dues. I think he’s really one of the most underrated singer/songwriter heroes of our generation.”
- Kid Rock, musician, talking about inducting childhood hero Bob Seger into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Definition

1. Definition - Study the definition.

person who is extremely nervous or worried about something

2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.

You can use “nervous wreck” to describe any person who is feeling extremely worried. A person becomes a “nervous wreck” when feelings of worry become overwhelming and start affecting the way one acts. For example, if your mother tells you to be home by 10:00 and you don’t arrive until 11:00, she might become a “nervous wreck” while she’s waiting for you. She might start calling all of your friends or driving around looking for you. Or she might just start screaming and crying. Either way, you don’t want her to become a “nervous wreck” ever again, so you better be on time for the rest of your life!

Examples

1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.

””I’m a nervous wreck right now. I have a math test in two hours and I haven’t studied for it yet. I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had any time. I know I’m going to fail it. I’m totally freaking out.”“

””Have you seen Sara today? She’s a nervous wreck. She didn’t get into Stanford and she’s worried that she’s not going to get into Penn either. If she doesn’t get to go to the college she wants, she’s going to be super bummed.”“

””Jeff used to be a cool guy, but since he got a job as a lawyer he’s been a nervous wreck. I don’t even like hanging out with him anymore because all he talks about is how stressed out he is.”“

””If you don’t practice your routine, you’re going to be a nervous wreck when you have to perform it on stage. You should be practicing for at least an hour every day.”“

””Where have you been? I’ve been a nervous wreck all night. I thought you were gong to be home at midnight!”“

Winners

1. Winners - See who guessed the slang definition correctly.

someone whose health and confidence have been destroyed by fear, worry, etc.
by Anna (Taipei, Taiwan)
I think it means someone in a very bad mental state, very nervous or worried about a situation.
by Isaias (Varzea Paulista, Brazil)
If he/she is a nervous wreck, he/she is extremely nervous or easily worried about something.
by Matilda (Taipei, Taiwan)
nervous wreck means that you are are worried about something that is going to happen, freaking out about it.
by laura (Corinth, NY)
It means someone is extemely nervous. For example, she was a nervous wreck after she heard the news about her son’s suicide; he was a nervous wreck after he got laid off.
by Sherry (ShenZhen, China)
Tension, feel the pressure in a particular situation
by Kened (Caracas, Venezuela)
I guess that the meaning is somebody is anxious of something or wants to know something.
by puff (SZ, China)
“Nervous wreck” means a very strong and impressed feeling of some unhappy experience.
by Emily (China)
I think it means a big problem, a question that somebody meets, especially the feeling question.
by puff (SZ, China)
feel nervous, afraid, exciting or scared
by suttiluk
worried about something.
by amy
angry or nervous
by jay
It is maybe something or somebody that unuseful or unsuccessful
by liang (Jinan, China)
difficult to take easy and to be forgotten
by Charlene (Shanghai, China)
Not good at something…
by Peggy (Kaohsiung, Taiwan)
someone being to shy
by Enoch (Watsonville, USA)
I think it means something of your treasure,and something you want to be perfect
by Sara
I suppose it refers to someone’s strong feeling that he really want to say out something or do thing.
by christine (Guangzhou, China)