nervous expression

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "nervous expression" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe someone's facial expression that indicates anxiety or unease. Example: "As she walked onto the stage, her nervous expression revealed her apprehension about speaking in front of the large audience."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Seeming to lose his train of thought, Rodman turned and bowed in the direction of the Supreme Leader, who had been watching him with a slightly nervous expression.

The New Yorker

Rodman continued, "I'm sorry that my country and your country are not on good terms, but for me and — the country... ..... Seeming to lose his train of thought, Rodman turned and bowed in the direction of the Supreme Leader, who had been watching him with a slightly nervous expression.

The New Yorker

[Makes exaggerated, nervous expression.] It's our single-largest investment ever, but I have faith in Kahuna.

TechCrunch

But it was her last secret shared that left the cashier with a particularly nervous expression on her face.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

He seems to take their balked, nervous expressions of sympathy as permission to sink ever deeper into his own mire of self-pity.

The New York Times

On the first day, most of them wore suits and serious, sometimes nervous expressions, but Mr. Yassky bounced around the room in a red sweater.

The New York Times

The adventure began at Gatwick, where it was clear that something out of the norm was going on; far too many ultra running rucksacks in the same place, too many nervous expressions.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

(2013) Genes in red are associated with nervous system expression, genes in blue are associated with neuronal expression, and genes in black genes are not directly related to neuronal expression.

Cell Stem Cell

Nervous system expression is a well-conserved aspect of SAL gene function from worms to man.

BMC Genomics

The Gene-Switch system has been used to identify a small number of genes that increase life span specifically or preferentially in adult males, including nervous system expression of Gadd45 [ 17] and tissue-general over-expression of wild-type p53 [ 18].

Aging

The Drosophila orthologue for SoxC is also ubiquitously expressed [ 19, 46], although SoxD and SoxF orthologues show specific nervous system expression.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing someone's feelings, use "nervous expression" to specifically highlight the visible manifestation of their anxiety on their face. For example, "Despite her confident words, her nervous expression betrayed her true feelings."

Common error

Avoid relying solely on "nervous expression" when describing anxiety. Enrich your writing by varying your descriptions with alternative phrases such as "anxious look" or "worried demeanor" to convey nuances in the character's emotional state.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "nervous expression" functions as a noun phrase, where "nervous" modifies the noun "expression". It describes a visible manifestation of anxiety or unease. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable nature in written English, suitable for depicting a character's emotional state as seen in the provided examples.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

36%

News & Media

32%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "nervous expression" is a grammatically sound and readily understandable way to describe someone's visible anxiety or unease. Ludwig AI validates its correct usage, further supporting its common presence in both media and scientific literature. While versatile, enriching your writing by incorporating synonyms and alternatives such as "anxious look" or "worried demeanor" can make your descriptions more vivid and engaging. Remember to focus on context to ensure your word choice is precise and impactful.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

anxious look

Replaces the noun "expression" with "look", focusing on visual appearance of anxiety.

worried demeanor

Substitutes "nervous" with "worried" and "expression" with "demeanor", changing from facial display to overall behavior.

strained look

Emphasizes the tension in the facial expression, highlighting the stress aspect.

uneasy countenance

Uses more formal synonyms like "uneasy" for "nervous" and "countenance" for "expression", increasing formality.

apprehensive air

Shifts from facial expression to an overall atmosphere or feeling of apprehension.

tense visage

Replaces "expression" with the more formal "visage", indicating a face marked by tension.

agitated appearance

Suggests a more intense state of nervousness, implying visible restlessness.

fidgety behavior

Focuses on physical actions associated with nervousness rather than facial expressions.

restless manner

Describes behavior indicative of nervousness, moving away from facial cues.

unsettled air

Describes a general feeling of unease rather than a specific facial expression.

FAQs

How can I describe a "nervous expression" in more detail?

You can add descriptive adjectives to "nervous expression" to provide more detail, such as "a tight, nervous expression" or "a fleeting, nervous expression". Alternatively, you can use phrases like "anxious look" or "worried demeanor".

What's the difference between "nervous expression" and "anxious expression"?

While similar, "nervous expression" often implies a more immediate, situational anxiety, whereas "anxious expression" might suggest a more persistent or underlying state of worry. Both "anxious expression" and "nervous expression" describe the manifestation of these feelings on the face.

What are some synonyms for "nervous" when describing an expression?

Synonyms for "nervous" in this context include "agitated", "restless", "tense", or "uneasy". Using these words can add different nuances to the description of someone's "nervous expression".

Is it correct to say "nervous expression on face"?

While understandable, it's redundant to say "nervous expression on face" because "expression" already implies it's on the face. Simply using "nervous expression" is grammatically correct and more concise.