nervous exhaustion

noun

1. extreme mental and physical fatigue caused by excessive emotional stress; neurasthenia.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nervous exhaustion¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Two years later, she was admitted to hospital suffering from "nervous exhaustion" but gradually returned to public life - where she took a close interest in organisations that helped the young and the elderly.

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The duchess emerged after a seven-week stay in hospital for what palace officials described at the time as "nervous exhaustion".

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Always high-strung, he was prone to mysterious fainting spells and periods of nervous exhaustion, which led some to question his dedication.

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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.

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For those left in the wake of the hurricane, Farmer’s brief, intense flurry of activity could result in a case of nervous exhaustion—a case of “decompressing from Paul,” Jim said.

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