combat fatigue

noun

: post-traumatic stress disorder occurring under wartime conditions (such as combat) that cause intense stress : battle fatigue, shell shock

Nearly a half-million American soldiers were battle casualties during the fighting in Europe; by 1945 another 111,000 neuropsychiatric cases—then usually called combat fatigue—had been treated.

—Roger J. Spiller

The psychological strain he continues to endure has had many names over the years. In World War I, it was shell shock. In World War II, it was combat fatigue …

—Steven Lee Meyers

Examples of combat fatigue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Just before sunrise, a small group of newsmen slid into combat fatigues and safari jackets before slipping through the waking city in a convoy of vans and rental cars. —Gary Knight, Rolling Stone, 1 Aug. 2025

Dressed in combat fatigues and answering questions in Mandarin, the POWs were watched over by armed Ukrainian security personnel, while a translator sat beside them. —Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025

Found in coffee, tea, chocolate and countless performance-enhancing supplements, this naturally occurring stimulant has long been prized for its ability to increase alertness and combat fatigue. —Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025

Here, experts break down a few potential causes for your tiredness as well as how to combat fatigue. —Ali Pantony, Glamour, 4 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for combat fatigue

• blitzkrieg
• intrigue
• muskeg
• chincoteague
• league

Medical Definition

combat fatigue

noun

com·​bat fatigue ˈkäm-ˌbat- 

: post-traumatic stress disorder occurring under wartime conditions (as combat) that cause intense stress

called also battle fatigue, shell shock, war neurosis