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nervous breakdown

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR nervous breakdown ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

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RELATED WORDS

collapse, depression, neurosis, burnout, crackup, neurasthenia

Nearby words

  1. nervon,
  2. nervonic acid,
  3. nervosity,
  4. nervous,
  5. nervous bladder,
  6. nervous exhaustion,
  7. nervous indigestion,
  8. nervous lobe,
  9. nervous nellie,
  10. nervous system

Origin of nervous breakdown

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
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
Medicine definitions for nervous breakdown

nervous breakdown

n.

A severe or incapacitating emotional disorder, especially when occurring suddenly and marked by depression.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.