She nervously bit her nails while waiting.

Meaning: This means she was worried or anxious and she kept biting her fingernails while she waited.

Choice of Words: Nervously is an adverb that means in a worried or anxious manner. Bit is a verb that means to cut or tear something with the teeth. Nails is a noun that refers to the hard, protective covering on the tips of fingers and toes.

Alternative Expressions

The girl was anxiously chewing on her fingernails as she waited.

Meaning: This sentence describes a girl who is feeling nervous or worried while she is waiting for something or someone. She is chewing on her fingernails as a way to calm down.

Choice of Words: The girl was feeling anxiously while she was chewing on her fingernails as she waited. Anxiously means she was feeling nervous or worried, and she was chewing on her fingernails because it helped her to calm down. Chewing means she was using her teeth to bite and crush her fingernails. Fingernails are the hard, protective covering on the ends of her fingers and toes. Waiting means she was staying in one place and expecting something or someone to arrive.

With anxious jitters, the girl gnawed at her nails as she patiently stood by.

Meaning: This sentence describes a girl who is feeling nervous or worried while she is waiting for something or someone. She is gnawing on her fingernails as a way to calm down.

Choice of Words: The girl was feeling anxious jitters while she was gnawing at her nails as she patiently stood by. Anxious means she was feeling nervous or worried, and she was gnawing on her nails because it helped her to calm down. Gnawing means she was using her teeth to bite and scrape at her fingernails. Nails are the hard, protective covering on the ends of her fingers and toes. Patiently means she was waiting calmly and without complaining.

Related Expressions