white knuckle
Tensely gripping tight
White knuckle describes intense fear, anxiety, or tension—from the way hands grip tightly enough to drain blood from the knuckles.
A white-knuckle flight terrifies a nervous passenger.
A white-knuckle thriller keeps you on edge.
To white-knuckle something is to endure it through sheer grit: She white-knuckled her way through withdrawal.
Intensely suspenseful experience
- nail-bitingExtremely tense or anxious
- cliffhangerSuspenseful unresolved ending
- climacticRelating to the peak
- rivetingCompletely holding one's attention
charged · dramatic · high-stakes · critical · intense · breathless · anticipation · uncertainty
Mechanism linking engine to gearbox
- clenchSqueeze tightly shut
- graspSeize or understand
- squeezeFirm bilateral compression
- holdMaintain in grasp
clasp · tighten · vise · handhold · armrest · handlebar · railing · seatbelt
Looping amusement track vehicle
- adrenalineEmergency response hormone
- skydivingRecreational freefall from aircraft
- bungeeElastic cord with hooks
- extremeFurthest from moderate
speed · rush · daredevil · stunt · high-octane · motocross · parachuting · waterslide
Extreme, overwhelming fear
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
- horrorExtreme fear or disgust
- frightSudden intense fear
- panicUncontrollable sudden fear
alarm · trepidation · apprehension · phobia · nightmare · paranoia · foreboding · ominous
edge-of-seat
Intensely suspenseful experience
- nail-bitingExtremely tense or anxious
- cliffhangerSuspenseful unresolved ending
- climacticRelating to the peak
riveting · charged · dramatic · high-stakes · critical · intense · breathless · anticipation · uncertainty · waiting
clutch
Mechanism linking engine to gearbox
hold · clasp · tighten · vise · handhold · armrest · handlebar · railing · seatbelt · brace
rollercoaster
Looping amusement track vehicle
- adrenalineEmergency response hormone
- skydivingRecreational freefall from aircraft
- bungeeElastic cord with hooks
extreme · speed · rush · daredevil · stunt · high-octane · motocross · parachuting · waterslide · zipline
terror
Extreme, overwhelming fear
panic · alarm · trepidation · apprehension · phobia · nightmare · paranoia · foreboding · ominous · eerie
- close callsclose call, near miss, narrow escape, close shave, nick of time
- Anxietyanxiety, nervousness, panic, worry, generalized anxiety
- driving slangfloor it, gun it, pedal to the metal, pedal to metal, peel out
- panicpanic attack, alarm, terror, fright, hysteria
- predicamentspredicament, dilemma, bind, pickle, pinch
- recoveryrecovery, sobriety, rehab, recover, recovery room