# nervous hit

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/nervous-hit
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A production which receives generally favorable notice, but is not assured of success.

## Examples

- The play is a nervous hit, but reviews are mixed.
- Critics praised the film, yet ticket sales were slow, making it a nervous hit for the studio.
- The director's experimental debut, though lauded by festival judges, remained a nervous hit, its commercial fate uncertain until the final week of release.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.