vacillate -
To waver between different opinions or actions; to be indecisive.
He would vacillate between a career in business - that would be more secure - or in acting, something that he loved to do.
verb
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gnaw -
To cause continual distress or discomfort, often in a mental or emotional sense.
Doubts about her decision started to gnaw at her, making it hard to focus.
noun
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fuss -
A display of unnecessary or excessive excitement, activity, or interest
The baby would make a fuss every time his parents would try to take a picture of him.
verb
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stutter -
To speak with involuntary disruptions or repetitions of sounds, often at the beginning of words, due to a speech difficulty.
During the presentation, she began to stutter when she got nervous.
noun
See verb
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shock -
A jarring event that causes surprise, disbelief, or emotional disturbance.
The shock of the market crash left investors scrambling to adjust their portfolios.
adjective
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agitated -
Emotionally upset or excited, especially due to worry or anger.
His voice grew louder and more agitated as he explained what he was feeling.
adjective
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frenetic -
Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way
Every James Bond movie features a frenetic car chase that has the audience on the edge of their seats.
adjective
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touchy -
Easily offended or sensitive to criticism or comments.
Be careful what you say—he’s really touchy about his artwork.
adjective
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unnerving -
Disturbing or upsetting in a way that makes someone feel anxious or afraid, sometimes leading to a loss of courage, confidence, or composure.
It was an unnerving experience walking alone in the empty and unused area under the highway.
noun
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tenterhooks -
Waiting nervously for something to happen.
After the weeklong trial, we were on tenterhooks waiting for the jury to give its verdict.
adjective
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frantic -
Wild or distraught with fear, anxiety, or other emotion
Between his two jobs and high debts, Randy was always frantic about how to deal with his life.
verb
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falter -
To lose strength or momentum; to weaken or stumble; to hesitate in action, purpose, or speech.
Her voice began to falter as she delivered the emotional speech.
