neurosis
noun
neu·ro·sis
nu̇-ˈrō-səs 
nyu̇-
plural neuroses
nu̇-ˈrō-ˌsēz
nyu̇-
: a mental and emotional disorder that affects only part of the personality, is accompanied by a less distorted perception of reality than in a psychosis, does not result in disturbance of the use of language, and is accompanied by various physical, physiological, and mental disturbances (such as visceral symptoms, anxieties, or phobias)
Examples of neurosis in a Sentence
LBJ by legend watched the evening news about Vietnam simultaneously on three TVs, a ticket to a neurosis and night sweats.
—
Daniel Henninger, Wall Street Journal, 2 Dec. 2005
He's self-conscious about few things, period, and so utterly lacking in neurosis that it's unnerving, frankly.
—Ned Zeman, Vanity Fair, February 2001
None of this official intervention did much to calm the fretfulness about maidservants, for the anxiety about their being both unreliable yet indispensable marked the birth of an authentically bourgeois neurosis.
—Simon Schama, The Embarrassment of Riches, 1988
Daniel Henninger, Wall Street Journal, 2 Dec. 2005
He's self-conscious about few things, period, and so utterly lacking in neurosis that it's unnerving, frankly.
—Ned Zeman, Vanity Fair, February 2001
None of this official intervention did much to calm the fretfulness about maidservants, for the anxiety about their being both unreliable yet indispensable marked the birth of an authentically bourgeois neurosis.
—Simon Schama, The Embarrassment of Riches, 1988
Recent Examples on the Web
Believing it to be the harbinger of an ancient prophecy which foretells his destruction, neurosis sets in: Zeus becomes convinced his fall is coming.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 28 June 2024
Cassatt moves through her paintings without the touching neuroses of a James, without his curling smoke trails of clauses or qualifying commas.
—Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 27 June 2024
Inside Out 2’s Freudianism allows Pixar addicts to indulge both neurosis and psychosis — entertaining the psychological detachment from reality that gave way to Trump Derangement Syndrome and that causes post-Covid susceptibility to government and media tyranny.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 June 2024
Almost all people have some sort of neurosis to talk over.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 1 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for neurosis 
Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 28 June 2024
Cassatt moves through her paintings without the touching neuroses of a James, without his curling smoke trails of clauses or qualifying commas.
—Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 27 June 2024
Inside Out 2’s Freudianism allows Pixar addicts to indulge both neurosis and psychosis — entertaining the psychological detachment from reality that gave way to Trump Derangement Syndrome and that causes post-Covid susceptibility to government and media tyranny.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 June 2024
Almost all people have some sort of neurosis to talk over.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 1 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for neurosis
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'neurosis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near neurosis
Cite this Entry
“Neurosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neurosis. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
neurosis
noun
neu·ro·sis
n(y)u̇-ˈrō-səs
plural neuroses
-ˈrō-ˌsēz
: any of various mental and emotional disorders that affect only part of a person's personality, are less serious than a psychosis, and involve unusual or extreme reactions (as abnormal fears, depression, or anxiety) to stress and conflict
Medical Definition
neurosis
noun
neu·ro·sis
n(y)u̇-ˈrō-səs
plural neuroses
-ˌsēz
: a mental and emotional disorder that affects only part of the personality, is accompanied by a less distorted perception of reality than in a psychosis, does not result in disturbance of the use of language, and is accompanied by various physical, physiological, and mental disturbances (as visceral symptoms, anxieties, or phobias)
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