Nerviest

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having the most audacity or boldness in a situation
2. Displaying the highest degree of daring or defiance in behavior
3. Exhibiting extreme nerve or bravado, often in contexts requiring risk-taking

Etymology: "Nerviest" is the superlative of "nervy," which is simply "nerve" plus the suffix "-y," meaning "having nerve." The base noun "nerve" comes from Latin "nervus," meaning sinew or tendon, and it reached English as the word for the fibers carrying sensation through the body. The sense of nerve as boldness or courage grew from the older idea that strength and resolve were rooted in the body's sinews. Nervy itself took on the sense of audacious or cheeky behavior, so "the nerviest" describes someone who shows the most brazen daring. The formation is plain: a noun turned into an adjective with a suffix, then inflected into a superlative with "-iest."

Synonyms: boldest, most audacious

Antonyms: timidest, most fearful