nervous breakdown

noun

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

Synonyms

• breakdown
• crack-up
• tailspin

Example Sentences

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

The Idol follows Jocelyn, an aspiring singer whose career is faltering after she was forced to cancel her tour due to a nervous breakdown. —Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 2 Mar. 2023

Teddy even had a nervous breakdown because of it! —EW.com, 21 May 2021

Because holy hell was this a—nervous breakdown? —Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 10 Dec. 2020

Dern starred as Amy Jellicoe, a corporate executive who takes a demotion after a humiliating nervous breakdown and tries to put the pieces of her life together. —Christian Holub, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2022

Dern plays a high-powered and self-destructive corporate executive who's forced to reevaluate her life after a nervous breakdown. —Emma Dibdin, Town & Country, 23 Oct. 2022

After a nervous breakdown, Walter trades the city for the countryside. —Jacob Siegal, BGR, 28 Aug. 2022

In 2021, facing financial woes, Perry suffered a nervous breakdown that culminated in a suicide attempt. —Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 7 Dec. 2022

Worse, his father suffered a nervous breakdown after his brother’s death and shunned Lino’s son for the simple reason that the boy’s name was also Joe. —Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

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