empty-nest syndrome

American  

noun

1. a depressed state felt by some parents after their children have left home.

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empty-nest syndrome British  

noun

1. informal a condition, often involving depression, loneliness, etc, experienced by parents living in a home from which the children have grown up and left

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Etymology

Origin of empty-nest syndrome

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Empty-nest syndrome is a syndrome for a reason.

From The Guardian

The book, she said, was partly the result of empty-nest syndrome.

From Washington Post

“It’s the empty-nest syndrome. People in their 50s, their kids have gone. People feel lonely, and a dog is an eternal baby, isn’t it?”

From Washington Post

Some of the reborners have lost a child, while others were unable to bear children at all; still others found the crafting and collecting of these handmade infants a balm for empty-nest syndrome.

From The New Yorker

We’ve already been dealing with the empty-nest syndrome.

From Seattle Times