nerf

See also: NeRF

English

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /nɜːf/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /nɝf/
  • Audio (Australia):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)f

Etymology 1

Circa 1950s? (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Verb

nerf (third-person singular simple present nerfs, present participle nerfing, simple past and past participle nerfed)

  1. (motor racing, transitive) To bump lightly, whether accidentally or purposefully.
    A racer will often nerf another as a psychological tactic.
    • 1953, Henry Gregor Felsen, Street Rod, Random House, page 129:
      "The crazy fool!" Ricky exclaimed. "Nerfing me!"
Derived terms

Etymology 2

From the Nerf brand of toys designed as non-dangerous counterparts of existing things, such as sports balls and guns. Originally used to equate a change in the damage of a weapon in a video game to a change from real weapons to Nerf weapons.

Verb

nerf (third-person singular simple present nerfs, present participle nerfing, simple past and past participle nerfed)

  2. (transitive, slang, video games) To change a mechanic, an ability, or a character in a video game in order to make less efficacious.
    Synonym: gimp
    The lightning spell was originally pretty powerful, but in the sequel they nerfed it so it became completely useless.
  4. (transitive, slang) To arbitrarily limit or reduce the capability of.
    • 2019 May 17, Fred Lambert, Electrek‎[2], archived from the original on 18 August 2025:
      Tesla nerfs Autopilot in Europe due to new regulations
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations

Noun

nerf (plural nerfs)

  2. (slang, video games) The deterioration, weakening or worsening of a character, a weapon, a spell, etc.

Anagrams

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /nɛrf/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: nerf
  • Rhymes: -ɛrf

Etymology 1

From earlier nerve, from Middle Dutch *narwe, either inherited from Old Dutch *narwa or borrowed from Middle Low German narwe, eventually from Proto-Germanic *narwō, from earlier *arwaz (“scar”).[1]

For the change of -rwe → -rf, compare verf. Cognate with German Narbe (“scar”).

Noun

nerf f (plural nerven, diminutive nerfje n)

  1. grain of wood
  2. (dated) a similar line in leather, paper, etc.
Derived terms
  • houtnerf
Descendants
  • Afrikaans: nerf

Etymology 2

From Latin nervus. The botanic sense belongs historically to this word, but is semantically close to etymology 1 and hence not necessarily felt as a distinct word.

Noun

nerf f (plural nerven, diminutive nerfje n)

  1. (obsolete) nerve
    Synonym: zenuw
  2. (botany) vein of a leaf
Derived terms
  • bladnerf

References

  1. ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), “arwiz-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11)‎[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 37-38

French

Etymology

    Inherited from Middle French nerf, from Old French nerf, inherited from Latin nervus.

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    nerf m (plural nerfs)

    1. (anatomy) nerve
    2. (figuratively) force, power, strength
      Les nerfs, les garçons! On n'est pas sur un bateau de plaisance. ― Put some muscle into it, boys! We are not on a pleasure boat!

    Derived terms

    Further reading

    Middle French

    Etymology

      From Old French nerf.

      Noun

      nerf m (plural nerfz)

      1. nerve

      Descendants

      Old French

      Etymology

        From Latin nervus.

        Noun

        nerf oblique singular, m (oblique plural ners, nominative singular ners, nominative plural nerf)

        1. nerve
          • 1377, Bernard de Gordon, Fleur de lis de medecine (a.k.a. lilium medicine), page 185 of this essay:
            Donc lepre est maladie de chair et non pas du cueur, ne des os, de des nerfs etc.
            Therefore leprosy is a disease of the flesh and not of the heart, nor of the bones, nor of the nerves, etc.

        Descendants

        Portuguese

        Etymology

          Unadapted borrowing from English nerf.

          Pronunciation

           
          • (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈnɛʁ.fi/ [ˈnɛh.fi], /ˈnɛʁf/ [ˈnɛhf]
            • (São Paulo) IPA(key): /ˈnɛɾ.fi/, /ˈnɛɾf/
            • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA(key): /ˈnɛʁ.fi/ [ˈnɛχ.fi], /ˈnɛʁf/ [ˈnɛχf]
            • (Caipira) IPA(key): /ˈnɛɻ.fi/, /ˈnɛɻf/

          Noun

          nerf m (plural nerfs)

          1. (video games, slang) nerf (worsening of a game mechanic)
            Antonym: buff
            • 2016 July 22, Rodrigo Lima, “Top 5: Os personagens mais irritantes de se enfrentar em Overwatch”, in GameHall‎[3], São Paulo: R7, archived from the original on 31 May 2025, 1) Torbjörn:
              Esse é o campeão! Mesmo com nerf nos consoles, os jogadores querem mais nerf. Nerf na torreta, nerf na mira da torreta, nerf no nerf da torreta! Até nerf no jogador, se for necessário!
              (please add an English translation of this quotation)

          Derived terms

          Further reading

          Welsh

          Etymology

          Borrowed from English nerve.

          Pronunciation

          • IPA(key): /nɛrv/

          Noun

          nerf f (not mutable, plural nerfau)

          1. nerve

          Derived terms

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