Nail-biting describes something so tense and exciting that you cannot relax while you watch or wait, because you truly do not know how it will end. The picture behind the word is a person chewing their fingernails while they wait — nervous, but not able to look away. We use it for football and basketball games that stay close until the last second, for elections where nobody knows the winner until late at night, for films where the hero might not escape, and for waiting for exam results or a hospital phone call.

Nail-biting describes somethingNail-biting用來形容某件事 so tense and exciting緊張刺激到 that you cannot relax while you watch or wait你看著或等著的時候完全放鬆不下來， because you truly do not know how it will end因為你真的不知道結果會怎樣。The picture behind the word這個字背後的畫面 is a person chewing their fingernails while they wait是一個人一邊等一邊咬指甲—— nervous, but not able to look away很緊張，卻沒辦法把視線移開。We use it我們會用它來形容 for football and basketball games that stay close until the last second比分一路緊咬到最後一秒的足球和籃球比賽、 for elections where nobody knows the winner until late at night開票到深夜都沒人知道誰贏的選舉、 for films where the hero might not escape主角可能逃不掉的電影、 and for waiting for exam results or a hospital phone call還有等考試成績或醫院電話的那種等待。

It is almost always used before a noun: a nail-biting finish, a nail-biting match, a nail-biting hour.

It它 is almost always used before a noun幾乎總是放在名詞前面用： a nail-biting finisha nail-biting finish（緊張刺激的結局）、 a nail-biting matcha nail-biting match（扣人心弦的比賽）、 a nail-biting houra nail-biting hour（讓人提心吊膽的一小時）。

It carries a mix of fear and pleasure. For a game or a film, the fear is enjoyable — people say it as praise, meaning "that was wonderful, my heart was racing". For real bad news you are waiting on, the fear is real and the word only means the waiting was hard. So a nail-biting film is a compliment; a nail-biting week in hospital is not.

It它 carries a mix of fear and pleasure帶有一種害怕跟快樂混在一起的感覺。For a game or a film對比賽或電影來說， the fear is enjoyable那種害怕是好玩的—— people say it as praise人們把這個字當作稱讚在說， meaning "that was wonderful, my heart was racing"意思是「那真是太精彩了，我的心臟一直狂跳」。For real bad news you are waiting on對於你在等的真正的壞消息來說， the fear is real那種害怕是真實的， and the word only means the waiting was hard這個字只是單純表示「等待很難熬」。So a nail-biting film is a compliment所以a nail-biting film（緊張刺激的電影）是一種稱讚； a nail-biting week in hospital is nota nail-biting week in hospital（在醫院裡提心吊膽的一週）就不是了。

The word is common in newspapers, sports reporting and everyday speech, and it is neither formal nor rude — you can use it with anyone. Note that biting your nails is also a real habit some people have when nervous, and that plain verb use (he bites his nails) is separate from this adjective.

The word is common這個字很常見 in newspapers, sports reporting and everyday speech在報紙、體育報導和日常口語裡， and it is neither formal nor rude而且既不正式也不粗魯—— you can use it with anyone你可以對任何人使用。Note that要注意， biting your nails is also a real habit some people have when nervousbiting your nails（咬指甲）也是有些人緊張時真的會有的習慣， and that plain verb use那個單純的動詞用法 (he bites his nails)（he bites his nails他咬指甲） is separate from this adjective跟這個形容詞是分開的。