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neurotic

neurotic

63 7.2
Being very worried about small things and unable to relax
  • adjective
  • /nʊˈrɑtɪk/
translation icon : neurótico
  • Many people become neurotic when faced with stressful situations, worrying excessively about small details.
  • neurotic tendencies
  • neurotic behavior
  • become neurotic

Stephen Bakers How to live with a neurotic cat.

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Examples

  • As such, evidence of self-criticism may provide insight into the neurotic basis of relationships shared by correspondents.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Your version is that neurotic, self-centered people pay good money to come in here and complain.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • You can get neurotic about all these details.

  • You should be there pushing them along even when you are neurotic and afraid and worried.

  • And I just feel like humans are generally better humans and less neurotic when they walk a lot.

  • Society is becoming more and more neurotic, and this is due to alcohol and tobacco.

    Academic text (1993)
  • And I'm definitely the most neurotic and the most anxiety prone.

  • I know that for me, part of that attitude is neurotic, stemming from my own problems with relationships.

    Academic text (1993)
  • It makes us very neurotic, it makes us very unhappy, and it's a sense of powerlessness.

  • A neurotic actress.

Synonyms

hyperemotional
vsneurotic
1 7.9

Showing very strong feelings that change quickly and seem too much

focuses on anxious instability as a lasting condition rather than brief intensity
psychoneurotic
vsneurotic
  • Archaic
9.9

Having a long-term emotional problem that causes strong anxiety

refers to excessive anxiety and instability without implying a clinical diagnosis

Antonyms

735 1.0

Not showing strong feelings and being very still

473 2.3

Not likely to change and stays steady over time

Compounds

8.5

A long time of deep sadness and worry without false beliefs or hearing things that are not there

How Anxious

neurotic
63 7.2
anxious
201 2.7
worried
1.0
nervous
1.3
uneasy
98 3.2

Surface Forms

neurotic positive

Morphology

neurotic = neurosis (opaque) = neuro + tic

The word is historically formed from the specialized noun 'neurosis' plus '-tic', but its modern meaning is not readily predictable for an average learner from those parts.

Etymology

Neurotic comes from the Greek root neuro- meaning 'nerve', like the English word nerve. It paints the picture of someone whose nerves are very active, so neurotic describes strong worry or emotional instability.