nervous breakdown

noun

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

Synonyms of nervous breakdown

• breakdown

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

This happened years before, in such a serious way that my friend had to take a three-month medical leave of absence due to what was likely a nervous breakdown. —R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026

When their news anchor (Peter Finch) has a nervous breakdown on the air, suddenly their ratings turn around, bringing on a moral morass only some of them are prepared to face. —Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026

Mostly because Kiesling’s voice is delightful, and this chronicle of Daphne—a young mother-intellectual on the verge of a nervous breakdown—is open-hearted and unsparing about the work that goes into balancing infant care with day job. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026

As for this devastated, miserable, freaked out, walking nervous breakdown of a man? —Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 25 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nervous breakdown

• adown
• blowdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown
• knockdown

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