A nerve-racking situation pulls your nerves tight: you feel very worried, jumpy, or on edge while it is happening. Waiting for exam results, speaking in front of the class, sitting in the dentist’s chair, watching a match in the last minute — those can all be nerve-racking.

A nerve-racking situation讓人神經緊繃的情況 pulls your nerves tight會讓你神經拉得緊緊的：while it is happening在事情發生的當下, you feel very worried, jumpy, or on edge你會覺得非常擔心、緊張、坐立不安。Waiting for exam results等待考試結果, speaking in front of the class在全班面前講話, sitting in the dentist’s chair坐在牙醫的椅子上, watching a match in the last minute在比賽最後一分鐘看球——those這些 can all be nerve-racking都可能讓人神經緊繃。

The word usually describes the thing or the time, not the person. You feel nervous; the wait is nerve-racking.

The word usually describes這個字通常用來形容 the thing or the time事情或時刻, not the person而不是人。You feel nervous你會覺得緊張; the wait is nerve-racking而等待本身是讓人神經緊繃的。

You will also see nerve-wracking, with a w. Though actually both spellings are in wide use, and teachers argue about them. The older idea is racking: to rack something is to stretch it hard, like the old torture frame called a rack, so your nerves are being pulled. Wrack is an old word for wreck and ruin, so nerve-wracking paints a slightly different picture.

You will also see你也會看到 nerve-wracking, with a w帶有w的nerve-wracking這個拼法。Though actually不過其實 both spellings are in wide use兩種拼法都很常用, and teachers argue about them老師們也常為此爭論。The older idea is racking較舊的概念是racking：to rack something is to stretch it hard把某樣東西rack就是用力拉伸它, like the old torture frame called a rack就像那個叫做rack的古老拷問架, so your nerves are being pulled所以你的神經正被拉扯著。Wrack is an old word for wreck and ruin Wrack是wreck毀壞和ruin毀滅的舊詞, so nerve-wracking paints a slightly different picture所以nerve-wracking呈現的畫面稍微不同。

In real life, people do not choose the spelling by meaning; they write the one they have seen. Either will be understood.

In real life實際上, people do not choose the spelling by meaning人們不會依照意思來選擇拼法; they write the one they have seen他們只是寫出自己看過的那一種。Either will be understood兩種寫法都看得懂。

It is everyday English, fine in speech and in newspapers, a little heavy for the most careful formal writing, where someone might say “very stressful” instead.

It is everyday English這是日常英文, fine in speech and in newspapers用在口語和報紙上都沒問題, a little heavy for the most careful formal writing對最講究的正式寫作來說稍嫌太重, where someone might say “very stressful” instead那種場合可能會改說「very stressful」。