Informal of or causing great fear, suspense, dread, etc.
Origin of white-knuckle
from the appearance of a hand clenched in fearwhite-knuckle
white-knuck·le
adjective
The definition of white-knuckle is something tense or something that causes fear and apprehension.
When an airplane has to make an emergency landing which caused extreme nervousness for the flight crew and passengers, this is an example of a white-knuckle landing.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"white-knuckle." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 15 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/white-knuckle>.
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white-knuckle. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/white-knuckle
white-knuckle
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"white-knuckle." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 15 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/white-knuckle>.
APA Style
white-knuckle. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/white-knuckle
white-knuckle
also white-knuck·led
adjective
SlangCharacterized by tense nervousness or apprehension: a white-knuckle emergency landing.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"white-knuckle." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 15 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/white-knuckle>.
APA Style
white-knuckle. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/white-knuckle
Adjective
(not comparable)
- (idiomatic) Causing fear, excitement, apprehension, suspense, or nervousness.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"white-knuckle." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 15 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/white-knuckle>.
APA Style
white-knuckle. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/white-knuckle
