neurosis
neurosis — noun
- neurosissingular
- neurosesplural
1. a long-term mental health problem where someone feels very worried or afraid in
a long-term mental health problem where someone feels very worried or afraid in ways that are not realistic, and may repeat the same actions again and again because of this fear.
Eli developed a serious neurosis about germs after his time in the hospital.
collocation: a neurosis about [topic]
After years of bullying, Jiwoo's neurosis made every trip to the shops feel dangerous.
The doctor explained that Iris was suffering from neurosis, not a more serious mental illness.
Childhood neurosis often improves when a young person feels safe and supported at home.
Aarav's therapist said that treating his neurosis would take many months of careful work.
- anxiety disorder
current clinical term in modern psychiatry; more specific.
- phobia
narrower — a strong fear of one particular thing or situation.
- obsession
focuses on repeated thoughts; can be a feature of neurosis but is not the whole condition.
- mental health
general state of being well; not a direct opposite but the contrasting condition.
文法句型
a neurosis about [topic]
suffer from neurosis
用法筆記
Older clinical term, now less common than 'anxiety disorder' in modern medicine; still used in general English to describe an ongoing pattern of worry or fear that controls someone's behaviour.