: extremely trying on the nerves a nerve-racking ordeal The job interview was a nerve-racking experience.

Is it nerve wrecking or wracking?

“Nerve-racking” is the original and correct spelling of this phrase, which describes something that makes you extremely nervous. “Nerve-wracking” is a widely-used and well-established variant spelling. Many editors and usage dictionaries find it acceptable, but purists and prescriptivists consider it an error.

What does racking your brain mean?

: to think very hard in order to try to remember something, solve a problem, etc. I've been racking my brain, but I can't remember his name.

Is it wracking my brain or racking?

The spelling 'rack' is now used in all senses except for the seaweed called wrack. So it's "rack and ruin," … "racking my brains," and so on. Some other usage guides provide a way of dealing with this question that has a certain brutal charm: just stop using the word wrack.

Why do people say nerve wracking?

Some people prefer "nerve-wracking" because they associate it with wrecking - the wording "nervous wreck" is recorded as early as 1871. It was always likely that rack and wrack should overlap. Wr- at the start of a word has been hard to pronounce from the time when w began to sound in Old English as it does today.

Theory of Mind | False Belief Tasks & Understanding Mental States

25 related questions found

Is wrack my brain correct?

The expression “to go to wrack and ruin” means to fall into a state of decay or destruction. The written form “wrack one's brains” is, therefore, incorrect.

What is wracking mean?

1 : ruin, destruction. 2 : a remnant of something destroyed. wrack. verb (1) wracked; wracking; wracks.

What is the meaning of the idiom eat your words?

to admit that you were wrong about something. Synonyms and related words. To admit you are wrong or have done something wrong. admit. confess.

Why do we say rack my brain?

Meaning: To think very hard to find an answer. If you rack your brains, you strain mentally to recall or to understand something. The rack was a mediaeval torture device where the victim was tied to the rack by his arms and legs, which were then practically torn from their bodies.

How do you use your brain rack?

to think very hard: I've been racking my brains all day but I can't remember her name. considerDon't make any decisions before you've considered the matter.

What does rack and ruin mean?

Definition of go to rack and ruin

: to become destroyed or ruined The old house has gone to rack and ruin.

What is the difference between racked and wracked?

Rack and Wrack as Nouns

As a noun, rack means a frame, a shelf, an instrument of torture, or a state of intense anguish. The noun wrack means destruction or wreckage. Idiomatically, we may rack the billiard balls, rack up points, and roast a rack of lamb.

What does nerve wreck mean?

: a person who is very worried or nervous about something Before the wedding the bride's father was a nervous wreck.

What is a nerve racking person?

English Language Learners Definition of nerve-racking

: causing a person to feel very nervous.

How do you use nerve racking in a sentence?

Nerve-racking sentence example

Taking a pregnancy test can be a nerve-racking situation. Choosing to write and say personal or unique wedding vows in front of all your friends and family can be extremely nerve-racking. Cynthia didn't answer and the silence became nerve racking .

Can I pick your brains?

to ask someone's advice about a subject the person knows a lot about: Can I pick your brain about how you got rid of those weeds?

What does wracked with guilt mean?

Suffering from, preoccupied by, or paralyzed with an intense and overwhelming feeling of guilt. I've been racked with guilt ever since I took that bribe.

Is it wracked with pain or racked with pain?

As such, “wrack” is often accepted as a variant spelling of the verb form of “rack.” For example, we can say “wracked with pain” as well as “racked with pain.” But keep in mind that “rack” and “wrack” are only interchangeable when used as a verb.

What is the meaning of get ones feet wet?

: to begin doing a new job, activity, etc., in usually a slow and simple way in order to become more familiar with it She got her feet wet at her new job by doing some simple filing tasks.

What is the meaning of feeling blue?

Be depressed or sad, as in I was really feeling blue after she told me she was leaving. The use of blue to mean “sad” dates from the late 1300s. See also blue funk, def. 2; have the blues.

What is the meaning of the idiom a dog in the manger?

: a person who selfishly withholds from others something useless to himself.

Is Whack good or bad?

Whack meaning 'hit', as a noun and verb, is centuries old but remains informal compared to such synonyms as strike, blow, and knock. ... This was followed by adjectival wack meaning bad, unfashionable, stupid or of low quality, as in the anti-drugs slogan Crack is wack.

What does crack my head mean?

acron. Short for "shaking my head". Used to convey your disappointment at someone doing or saying something utterly stupid.

What is wrack seaweed?

Wrack is part of the common names of several species of seaweed in the family Fucaceae. It may also refer more generally to any seaweeds or seagrasses that wash up on beaches and may accumulate in the wrack zone. ... vesiculosus, another common species, by bearing air-bladders.

What is an emotional wreck?

emotional wreck in British English

(ɪˈməʊʃənəl rɛk) noun. a person who is feeling very sad, confused, or desperate because of something bad that has happened to them. I began to hear rumours about him and other women. I became an emotional wreck.