midlife crisis

noun

|Updated on: 30 Jul 2018

Examples: midlife crisis in a Sentence

Definition of midlife crisis

: a period of emotional turmoil in middle age characterized especially by a strong desire for change

See midlife crisis defined for English-language learners

Examples of midlife crisis in a Sentence

We knew he was going through a midlife crisis when he bought a new sports car.

Recent Examples of midlife crisis from the Web

There are several ways to describe what happens to him — as a midlife crisis, a psychological breakdown, a political awakening or a religious reckoning.

— paul schrader, New York Times, "Review: ‘First Reformed’ Is an Epiphany. Ethan Hawke Is, Too.," 17 May 2018
Past partners know some part of us that no one else ever will, and sometimes, at a moment of midlife crisis, such familiarity can bring comfort.

— sylvia brownrigg, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘My Ex-Life,’ by Stephen McCauley," 14 June 2018
While the first movie led with Mr. Incredible and his midlife crisis, the sequel elevates Mrs. Incredible as the star.

— christina schoellkopf, latimes.com, "'Incredibles 2' team on the sequel's 14-year gap, and putting Elastigirl center stage," 6 June 2018
Enter, Pursued by a Whale’ In this comedy, a retirement party gone horribly awry reflects the midlife crisis of a man – who thinks he’s being followed by a whale.

— matthew j. palm, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando Fringe: Sentinel's Best of the Fest," 23 May 2018
As the force's oldest rookie, he's met with skepticism from some of the higher-ups who see him as little more than a walking midlife crisis.

— kate stanhope, latimes.com, "All the details on ABC's new shows for the 2018-19 season," 10 May 2018
This time he was motivated by an endurance athlete’s equivalent of a midlife crisis.

— paul bisceglio, The Atlantic, "The Wisdom of Running a 2,189-Mile Marathon," 13 May 2018
Damien Enderle, 51, jokes that a midlife crisis brought him to the Radnor Fire Company.

— michaelle bond, Philly.com, "Fire departments, desperate for volunteers, get creative," 7 May 2018
The New York Times likened the album to a midlife crisis.

— emily gould, The Cut, "Out of Exile," 26 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'midlife crisis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of midlife crisis

1965

in the meaning defined above

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MIDLIFE CRISIS Defined for English Language Learners

midlife crisis

noun

Definition of midlife crisis for English Language Learners

: a time in middle age when a person feels a strong desire for change

Medical Dictionary

midlife crisis

noun

medical Definition of midlife crisis

: a period of emotional turmoil in middle age caused by the realization that one is no longer young and characterized especially by a strong desire for change