nervous exhaustion
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of nervous exhaustion
First recorded in 1925–30
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The duchess emerged after a seven-week stay in hospital for what palace officials described at the time as "nervous exhaustion".
From BBC • Sep. 5, 2025
Always high-strung, he was prone to mysterious fainting spells and periods of nervous exhaustion, which led some to question his dedication.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2024
Chastain declared, referring to an incident in 1989, when Lewis was playing Hamlet at London’s National Theatre and, citing nervous exhaustion, quit the run in mid-performance, never to act onstage again.
From Washington Post • Mar. 17, 2023
For voters, it’s a recipe for nervous exhaustion.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 30, 2017
"You seem to me to be suffering from nervous exhaustion."
From Caught by the Turks by Yeats-Brown, Francis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
