nervous breakdown

noun

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

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
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The entire affair smelled like a quasi-constitutional coup attempt authored by a desperate head of state whose intensive bickering with the National Assembly over everything from budgets to investigations had induced a nervous breakdown. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024 One Fort Lauderdale women’s book club member said at a recent meeting that the entire group described itself as having a collective nervous breakdown due to election stress. Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2024 With that, Angelica ensures she’s got four enemies for life, all of whom are teetering on the precipice of a nervous breakdown. Caroline Framke, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2024 The Gutierrez brothers grew up in a low-income house with an alcoholic father who frequently beat both his sons and his wife, who at one point was hospitalized after a nervous breakdown, according to Diane Mosnik, a clinical neuropsychologist who evaluated Gutierrez in 2019. Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 16 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for nervous breakdown 

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nervous breakdown was in 1866

Dictionary Entries Near nervous breakdown

Cite this Entry

“Nervous breakdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nervous%20breakdown. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on nervous breakdown

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