neurotic

¹ American  

[noo-rot-ik, nyoo-] / nʊˈrɒt ɪk, nyʊ- /

adjective

Pathology.

1. pertaining to the nerves or to nerve disease; neural: no longer in technical use.

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neurotic ² American  

[noo-rot-ik, nyoo-] / nʊˈrɒt ɪk, nyʊ- /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of neurosis.

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noun

1. a neurotic person.

neurotic British  

/ njʊˈrɒtɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or afflicted by neurosis

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noun

1. a person who is afflicted with a neurosis or who tends to be emotionally unstable or unusually anxious

Other Word Forms

• neurotically adverb
• semineurotically adverb
• unneurotically adverb

Etymology

Origin of neurotic¹

First recorded in 1765–75; neuro- + -tic

Origin of neurotic¹

First recorded in 1870–75; neur(osis) + -otic

Example Sentences

Sometimes his neurotic, navel-gazing side gets the better of his artistry, as was the case at his concert at the Greek Theatre in the summer of 2024.

From Los Angeles Times

In “Greenberg,” Ben Stiller’s title character is a cantankerous and neurotic New Yorker who has fled west after a nervous breakdown.

From Los Angeles Times

Jonny Greenwood returned, roaring, with his music for swarming strings and neurotic piano in “One Battle After Another.”

From Los Angeles Times

Freud believed the drive to collect was neurotic.

From The Wall Street Journal

She won the Academy Award for best actress for 1977’s “Annie Hall,” in which she plays the neurotic titular heroine written by her former partner Woody Allen.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• compulsive
• distraught
• disturbed
• manic
• obsessive