student asking question

What does "with the nerve" mean?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Nerve" here is meant in a way similar to "audacity" or "gall," which hold negative nuances. When the speaker says "with the nerve to doubt her," she is rebuking the person's audacity to doubt her. "With" can be used in combination with other adjectives. Ex: With a confidence contradicting her young age, she stepped on the stage. Ex: You have some nerve! Who do you think you are?

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