mental unsoundness
- noun
- /ˈmɛntəl ʌnˈsaʊndnəs/
- Formal
:
trastorno mental
- The court questioned his mental unsoundness before allowing him to testify.
Examples
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Debilitating stress can sometimes lead to temporary mental unsoundness in even the healthiest individuals.
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Many people struggle with mental unsoundness at some point in their lives.
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After the traumatic event, signs of mental unsoundness became apparent to his family.
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His mental unsoundness was evident during the evaluation.
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After the traumatic event, signs of mental unsoundness became apparent to his family.
-
Debilitating stress can sometimes lead to temporary mental unsoundness in even the healthiest individuals.
-
His mental unsoundness was evident during the evaluation.
Synonyms
20
3.3
A condition that causes problems with thinking, feeling, or behaving
1
8.5
A severe state when someone cannot think clearly or control their mind
1
6.1
A problem in a person's mind that affects thinking or feeling
1
4.9
A state when a person cannot think clearly and feels lost
1
7.5
A condition where a person's thinking or feelings work very differently from usual and cause problems
A feeling of being mentally or emotionally unstable
A state in which a person is not healthy in mind or body
Antonyms
How Disturbed
231
6.5
- Specialized
52
8.7
- Specialized
19
8.5
- Formal
18
6.7
389
1.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase straightforwardly combines 'mental' (relating to the mind) with 'unsoundness' (a lack of soundness or impairment), so the meaning 'impaired mental state' is directly derivable from the parts. This follows a standard adjective + noun compositional pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Mental unsoundness comes from the old use of unsound, which described things that were 'not solid' or 'not safe'—like a weak bridge that might fall. When people put unsound with mental, it creates an image of a mind that is not steady or safe. That's why mental unsoundness means being mentally disturbed and unable to think or act normally.