nervous exhaustion

noun

1. extreme mental and physical fatigue caused by excessive emotional stress; neurasthenia.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nervous exhaustion¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Always high-strung, he was prone to mysterious fainting spells and periods of nervous exhaustion, which led some to question his dedication.

From Los Angeles Times

Chastain declared, referring to an incident in 1989, when Lewis was playing Hamlet at London’s National Theatre and, citing nervous exhaustion, quit the run in mid-performance, never to act onstage again.

From Washington Post

For those left in the wake of the hurricane, Farmer’s brief, intense flurry of activity could result in a case of nervous exhaustion—a case of “decompressing from Paul,” Jim said.

From Literature

In the early 1930s, he again found himself “on the verge of nervous exhaustion.”

From Literature

Rather, it’s what the president hasn’t done: rage and howl and push the country to a state of nervous exhaustion.

From Los Angeles Times