empty-nest syndrome

noun

emp·​ty-nest syndrome ˌem(p)-tē-ˈnest- How to pronounce empty-nest syndrome (audio)
: an emotional letdown often experienced by an empty nester

Examples of empty-nest syndrome in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Maybe when the final daughter-departing blow comes, empty-nest syndrome won’t be my fate. Galadriel Watson, Discover Magazine, 3 Jan. 2019 One possibility is what’s called empty-nest syndrome, a term used since at least the 1980s. Galadriel Watson, Discover Magazine, 3 Jan. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'empty-nest syndrome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of empty-nest syndrome was in 1965

Dictionary Entries Near empty-nest syndrome

Cite this Entry

“Empty-nest syndrome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empty-nest%20syndrome. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

empty-nest syndrome

noun
emp·​ty-nest syndrome ˈem(p)-tē-ˈnest- How to pronounce empty-nest syndrome (audio)
variants or empty nest syndrome
: a feeling of prolonged sadness, loss, or emptiness that is often experienced by a parent whose children have grown up and moved away from home
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!