White-knuckle

adj, verb

adj, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To endure despite feeling terror, fear, apprehension, anxiety, discomfort, or torment. transitive

    "The rest of the drive home I white knuckled it."

  2. 2
    To grip tightly in fear, apprehension, suspense, or nervousness. transitive

    "That lifting sensation is so strong, I inadvertently feel myself white-knuckling the hand grips."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Causing fear, excitement, apprehension, suspense, or nervousness. idiomatic, not-comparable

    ""No surprise given both Bellamy and White share - or have inherited - Hendrix's unique blend of experimental instincts and white-knuckle showmanship," said Mr Goldsmith."

Example

More examples

""No surprise given both Bellamy and White share - or have inherited - Hendrix's unique blend of experimental instincts and white-knuckle showmanship," said Mr Goldsmith."

Etymology

Evoking the imagery of tightly clenched hands with reduced bloodflow to the knuckles.

Related phrases

white-knuckle ride

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.