nervous breakdown

American  

noun

1. (not in technical use) any disabling mental disorder requiring treatment.

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nervous breakdown British  

noun

1. any mental illness not primarily of organic origin in which the patient ceases to function properly, often accompanied by severely impaired concentration, anxiety, insomnia, and lack of self-esteem; used esp of episodes of depression

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Etymology

Origin of nervous breakdown

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05

Example Sentences

In my mid 60s, I found myself divorced and on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

She explained she was in financial ruin as a result of the scam, and how she "almost had a nervous breakdown".

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

In “Greenberg,” Ben Stiller’s title character is a cantankerous and neurotic New Yorker who has fled west after a nervous breakdown.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

"We often wonder whether mum had a nervous breakdown during that time," she said.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2025

Listeners reported that they or a person they knew had experienced a heart attack, shortness of breath, or a nervous breakdown.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow