nervous breakdown

noun

: an attack of mental or emotional disorder especially when of sufficient severity to require hospitalization

Synonyms

• breakdown
• crack-up
• tailspin

Examples of nervous breakdown in a Sentence

She had a nervous breakdown shortly after her sister's death.

He is on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Recent Examples on the Web

That ethical dodge — congratulating modern progress, ignoring this era’s nervous breakdown — is the basic, political, insensitive reason that contemporary Hollywood cannot create love stories. —Armond White, National Review, 25 Apr. 2025

The tale of a narcissistic corporate executive (Dern) whose nervous breakdown yields a convenient spiritual awakening, the show positions its protagonist in the morally fraught role of a whistle-blower doing the right thing for selfish reasons. —Charlie Campbell, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025

The finale, a musical nervous breakdown, illuminates what’s been driving the character all along. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025

Can’t a girl have a nervous breakdown/trial separation/midlife crisis/death/divorce in peace around here?! —Esther Kang, People.com, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nervous breakdown

• adown
• blowdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown
• knockdown

Kids Definition

nervous breakdown

noun

: an attack of mental or emotional disorder that is severe enough to require hospitalization

Medical Definition

nervous breakdown

noun

: an attack of mental or emotional disorder especially when of sufficient severity to require hospitalization