'nerve-wracking' originates from the combination of 'nerve,' referring to the nervous system, and 'wrack,' an old term meaning to torment or torture.

'wrack' was used in Middle English to mean 'to destroy or ruin,' and eventually combined with 'nerve' to form the modern term 'nerve-wracking.'

Initially, it meant 'to torment the nerves,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'causing stress or anxiety.'