nervous breakdown

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See synonyms for nervous breakdown on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

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Origin of nervous breakdown

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05

Words nearby nervous breakdown

nervon, nervonic acid, nervosity, nervous, nervous bladder, nervous breakdown, nervous exhaustion, nervous indigestion, nervous lobe, nervous Nellie, nervousness

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use nervous breakdown in a sentence

Hikers whose names I do not remember have heard about the time I nearly had a nervous breakdown in the Sierra Nevada or what it’s like to share a tiny tent with your spouse.
Why We Love ‘Hiking with Rappers’|awise|October 28, 2021|Outside Online
She told me that she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown pre-pandemic.
What the pandemic teaches us about the need for parental leave|Victoria Livingstone|March 4, 2021|Washington Post
After the pandemic first hit, Devin Johnson remembers standing in the middle of his empty office in Indianapolis on the brink of a nervous breakdown.
Bosses share burdens of leadership during a pandemic and its effect on their mental health|Jessica Davies|February 22, 2021|Digiday
The breakdown of the 114th Congress is 80 percent white, 80 percent male, and 92 percent Christian.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

In this nervous city in an embattled country, even small explosions can have a big impact.
Is Putin Turning to Terrorism in Ukraine?|Anna Nemtsova|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Are you excited, nervous, afraid, all of the above for the new Star Wars films?
Patton Oswalt on Fighting Conservatives With Satire|William O’Connor|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It drains your body of nutrients and vitamins, attacking the central nervous system and leaving you in a dehydrated, hazy state.
History's Craziest Hangover Cures|Justin Jones|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nervous fans can keep a vigilant eye on it via a webcam hosted on the town website that offers 24-hour goat viewing.
Sweden’s Burning Christmas Goat|Nina Strochlic|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Drowned every few seconds by our tremendous salvoes, this more nervous noise crept back insistently into our ears in the interval.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
It is low in chronic interstitial nephritis, diabetes insipidus, and many functional nervous disorders.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Their glances met, she holding him always at arm's length by that grip upon his shoulders, a grip that was firm and nervous.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
Then a nervous, anxious feeling that takes away my appetite, and prevents me from eating my dinner.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
When we came in he looked indisposed and nervous, and there happened to be a good many artists there.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay

British Dictionary definitions for nervous breakdown

nervous breakdown

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for nervous breakdown

nervous breakdown

A severe or incapacitating emotional disorder, especially when occurring suddenly and marked by depression.

nervous breakdown

Origin of nervous breakdown

Words nearby nervous breakdown

Words related to nervous breakdown

How to use nervous breakdown in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nervous breakdown

Medical definitions for nervous breakdown