nervous breakdown

American  

noun

• nervous breakdowns
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• nervous breakdowns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of nervous breakdown

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nervous breakdown

Lindsey Korine has been living under a bridge after having a nervous breakdown and walking out on his wife and son.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

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

From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2025

When a nervous breakdown resulted in hospitalization, the author found she could no longer read her own life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2025

My mother says he was homesick, and hints at a nervous breakdown, but there was more to it than that.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood