midlife crisis

noun

1. a period of psychological stress occurring in middle age, thought to be triggered by a physical, occupational, or domestic event, as menopause, diminution of physical prowess, job loss, or departure of children from the home.

midlife crisis

/ ˈmɪdˌlaɪf /

noun

1. a crisis that may be experienced in middle age involving frustration, panic, and feelings of pointlessness, sometimes resulting in radical and often ill-advised changes of lifestyle

Word History and Origins

Origin of midlife crisis¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

The chartthrob fixation, in 2020 and now, is just TikTok for people on the cusp of a midlife crisis: an obsession that seems harmless until you find yourself at the bottom of the rabbit hole somewhere around 3 a.m.

From Los Angeles Times

He says, in the punishment cell, he is getting “for free” the experience of staying silent, eating scant food and getting away from the outside world that “rich people suffering from a midlife crisis” pay for.

From BBC

By pushing through a stretch of listless loneliness and embracing my fears, this midlife crisis ended up blooming into a midlife renaissance.

From Los Angeles Times

“They all thought I was going through a midlife crisis.”

From Los Angeles Times

And in the show’s third season, he gets to fully descend into what Leung describes as Eric’s epic, high-decibel “midlife crisis” — just at the moment he’s being elevated to the highest peak of his career.

From Salon