neurasthenia

[ noor-uhs-thee-nee-uh, nyoor- ]

noun

1. Psychiatry. (not in technical use) nervous debility and exhaustion occurring in the absence of objective causes or lesions; nervous exhaustion.

neurasthenia

/ ˌnjʊərəsˈθɛnɪk; ˌnjʊərəsˈθiːnɪə /

noun

1. an obsolete technical term for a neurosis characterized by extreme lassitude and inability to cope with any but the most trivial tasks

Derived Forms

• neurasthenic, adjective
• ˌneurasˈthenically, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of neurasthenia¹

First recorded in 1855–60; neur- + asthenia

Example Sentences

In the 19th century, the analog to burnout was neurasthenia.

From Salon

Graham shared a scoop he’d found in the British archives: Monty had a diagnosis of neurasthenia, what we’d now call PTSD.

From New York Times

One of the book’s through-lines is the concept of “neurasthenia,” an old-fashioned term describing a collection of symptoms including headaches, listlessness and low-grade depression.

From Washington Post

Idleness in the poor became neurasthenia in the rich.

From Washington Post

As a child, Jacob was treated for neurasthenia by Jean-Martin Charcot, Freud’s mentor.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• agitation
• anger
• disquiet
• impatience
• jitters
• sensitivity
• stage fright
• stress
• tension
• turbulence
• uneasiness
• worry