white-knuckle
Intensely fear-inducing
White-knuckle describes experiences so tense or frightening that you grip something until your knuckles turn pale.
A white-knuckle flight has severe turbulence; a white-knuckle drive navigates treacherous roads.
The term often modifies thrill-seeking activities: a white-knuckle roller coaster.
As a verb, to white-knuckle something is to endure it through sheer will: She white-knuckled her way through the interview.
Intensely suspenseful experience
- heart-poundingCausing intense physical excitement
- nail-bitingExtremely tense or anxious
- rivetingCompletely holding one's attention
- tensionStretched or strained state
cliffhanger · breathless · gripping · intense · dramatic · high-stakes · thriller · nerve-wracking
Looping amusement track vehicle
- skydivingRecreational freefall from aircraft
- bungeeElastic cord with hooks
- adrenalineEmergency response hormone
- raftingTraveling on buoyant platform
paragliding · wingsuit · ziplining · motocross · snowboarding · parkour · mountaineering · kitesurfing
Squeeze tightly shut
- clutchMechanism linking engine to gearbox
- graspSeize or understand
- squeezeFirm bilateral compression
- tightenMake more secure
hold · vise · clasp · armrest · handlebar · seatbelt · brace · clinch
Extreme, overwhelming fear
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
- panicUncontrollable sudden fear
- frightSudden intense fear
- horrorExtreme fear or disgust
alarm · nightmare · harrowing · haunt · shock · petrified · frozen · scream
Uneasy and apprehensive
- jitteryAnxiously restless
- tenseStrained or nervous
- uneasyTroubled, not calm
- apprehensiveFearful of future events
on-edge · stressed · overwrought · high-strung · restless · fidgety · wound-up · queasy
edge-of-seat
Intensely suspenseful experience
- heart-poundingCausing intense physical excitement
- nail-bitingExtremely tense or anxious
- rivetingCompletely holding one's attention
tension · cliffhanger · breathless · gripping · intense · dramatic · high-stakes · thriller · nerve-wracking · spine-tingling
rollercoaster
Looping amusement track vehicle
- skydivingRecreational freefall from aircraft
- bungeeElastic cord with hooks
- adrenalineEmergency response hormone
rafting · paragliding · wingsuit · ziplining · motocross · snowboarding · parkour · mountaineering · kitesurfing · turbulence
clench
Squeeze tightly shut
tighten · hold · vise · clasp · armrest · handlebar · seatbelt · brace · clinch · latch
terror
Extreme, overwhelming fear
horror · alarm · nightmare · harrowing · haunt · shock · petrified · frozen · scream · gasp
nervous
Uneasy and apprehensive
apprehensive · on-edge · stressed · overwrought · high-strung · restless · fidgety · wound-up · queasy · butterflies
- close callsclose call, near miss, narrow escape, close shave, nick of time
- suspensesuspense, suspenseful, tension, nail-biter, nail-biting
- thrillsroller coasters, thrill, adrenaline, skydiving, bungee jump
- fear reactionsscream, scared, gasp, terrified, flinch
- holding firmhold, hold fast, hold firm, hold on, hold onto
- tightnesstight, taut, snug, constricting, compressed
white, whitewash, whitish, white-knuckled, whiteness, whiteout, whiteboard, whitewashing, whitewashed