nervous breakdown

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of nervous breakdown

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05

Example Sentences

It’s the closest O’Hara gets to playing the straight man, if a straight man was a mother on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

The court heard details of the defendant's mental health issues, including a nervous breakdown in the 1990s.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026

It cost him £27m in lost revenue and prompted a "nervous breakdown" among publishers, he said, but it paid off and in 2016 the company returned to profit.

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2025

The finale, a musical nervous breakdown, illuminates what’s been driving the character all along.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2025

Listeners reported that they or a person they knew had experienced a heart attack, shortness of breath, or a nervous breakdown.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow