neurosis

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neu·ro·sis

(no͝o-rō′sĭs, nyo͝o-)

n. pl. neu·ro·ses (-sēz)

A mild mental disorder characterized by excessive anxiety, insecurity, or obsession, usually compensated for by various defense mechanisms.

Usage Note: The word neurosis has been used since the 1700s, when it referred broadly to a "nervous disease." With the advent of Freud's theory of psychoanalysis in the late 1800s, neurosis evolved to refer to mental disorders resulting from internal psychological conflicts rather than from neurological diseases or conditions. Today, the words neurosis and neurotic are no longer used in formal psychiatric diagnosis. The conditions formerly referred to as neurotic are now described with many other terms, such as anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Neurosis and neurotic are still frequently used in informal conversation and writing to denote recurrent worry and anxiety.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

neurosis

(njʊˈrəʊsɪs)

n, pl -ses (-siːz)

(Psychiatry) a relatively mild mental disorder, characterized by symptoms such as hysteria, anxiety, depression, or obsessive behaviour. Also called: psychoneurosis

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

neu•ro•sis

(nʊˈroʊ sɪs, nyʊ-)

n., pl. -ses (-siz)

Also called psychoneurosis. a functional disorder in which feelings of anxiety, obsessional thoughts, compulsive acts, and physical complaints without objective evidence of disease, occurring in various degrees and patterns, dominate the personality.

[1770–1780]

neurosis

a functional disorder of the nervous system. See also psychology. — neurotic, n., adj.

neurosis

noun obsession, instability, mental illness, abnormality, phobia, derangement, mental disturbance, psychological or emotional disorder Her mother was over-protective to the point of neurosis.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

neurosis

[njʊəˈrəʊsɪs] N (neuroses (pl)) [njʊəˈrəʊsiːz] → neurosis f inv
he's got so many neuroses and hang-ups → es un neurótico lleno de complejos

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

neurosis

[njʊəˈrəʊsɪs] [neuroses] [njʊəˈrəʊsɪːz] (pl) n → névrose f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

neurosis

n pl <neuroses> → Neurose f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

neurosis

[njʊˈrəʊsɪs] n (neuroses (pl)) [njʊˈrəʊsiːz] → nevrosi f inv

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

neu·ro·sis

n. neurosis, condición que se manifiesta principalmente por ansiedad y por el uso de mecanismos de defensa.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

neurosis

n (pl -ses) (ant) trastorno de ansiedad, neurosis f (ant)

References in classic literature ?

Nine out of ten of them are diseased creatures, just sane enough to trade on their own neuroses. The only quality oœ theirs which extorts my respect is a certain sublime selfishness which makes them willing to starve and to let their families starve sooner than do any work they don't like."

View in context

Here is book critic Adam Kirsch reviewing a late novel,0x20Sailor and Fiddler, and reflecting on the seemingly charmed century0x20of an American Jewish writer apparently devoid of neuroses. Kirsch also reviewed0x20The Lawgiver, from this same late period, and found a writer still seeking the affirmation of Hollywood, but working outside of the mainstream of postwar Jewish literature, while defining another kind of epic bestseller.

Herman Wouk Dead at 103

Award-winning author Jeff Kinney dishes up his usual dry humour in this hilarious latest instalment, with many a laughout-loud moment thanks to Greg's bad ideas and loveable middle school neuroses.

CHILDREN'S book of the week

The film has something to say about the boredom and neuroses of being a kept woman and the dullness of a seemingly perfect suburban existence - just not enough.

Dull drama is lost in translation

So when they gather at an apartment to sort things out, the neuroses of the Manhattan middle classes come bubbling to the surface.

Families at war

Solomon is renowned for weaving stories involving numerous characters - with pinpoint accents, and neuroses.

Therapeutic

of West Virginia) here explores the role of these processes in the understanding and treatment of the severe neuroses. He pays particular attention to the form of "repetition compulsion" he calls "character perversion" and its role in drug addiction, split identity, sadomasochism, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

"Torment me, but don't abandon me"; psychoanalysis of the severe neurosis in a new key

Neuroses are no bed of roses, as Richard Burgin has shown over the years in his ironic, witty, empathetic and ultimately sad stories.

Richard Burgin. The Conference on Beautiful Moments: Stories

Going back and researching the character, all of his neuroses have nothing to do with him being gay.

Marc Andreyko

The protagonist, 13-year-old Calman Pulowitz, is a bundle of neuroses with symptoms of allergies, insomnia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Stolls, Amy. Palms to the ground

"I was so hurt that I wanted to do a piece about exposing the inner thoughts and neuroses of the dancers, and how difficult it is when you are performing onstage," she says.