nerve-wasting

[/nɜːrv ˈweɪstɪŋ/]
adjective
que desgasta os nervos
1. causing extreme stress, anxiety, or mental exhaustion; wearing on one's nerves or emotional state
The nerve-wasting experience of waiting for test results kept her awake at night.
A experiência que desgasta os nervos de esperar pelos resultados dos testes a mantinha acordada à noite.
2. characterized by the gradual depletion of nervous energy or mental resilience
The nerve-wasting commute through heavy traffic left him exhausted every evening.
O trajeto que desgasta os nervos através do trânsito pesado o deixava exausto todas as noites.
While 'nerve-wasting' is a valid English term, 'nerve-racking' is considerably more common in both American and British English. In Brazilian Portuguese, expressions like 'desgastante,' 'estressante,' and 'que tira o sossego' are more frequently used in daily conversation to convey the same meaning. The term reflects the shared experience across English and Portuguese-speaking cultures of stress-induced exhaustion.
NYC Slang
nerve-wracking (more commonly used variant in NYC); stress-inducing
Synonyms / Sinônimos
nerve-rackingstress-inducinganxiety-producingexhaustingdrainingmaddeningexasperating
Antonyms / Antônimos
relaxingsoothingcalmingpeacefulrestful

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
que desgasta os nervos; estressante
Common in everyday speech for situations causing mental strain
Rio de Janeiro
que tira o sossego; que deixa nervoso
Often used colloquially to describe aggravating situations
São Paulo
desgastante; que causa ansiedade
Frequently used in professional and business contexts
Portugal
que desgasta os nervos; que causa nervosismo
Similar usage but slightly less common than in Brazilian Portuguese

Related Words

nervewastinganxietystressexhaustionexasperationirritation

Related Idioms & Phrases

get on someone's nerves
test one's patience
wear someone down
drive someone up the wall
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