neurosis
Meaning: A relatively mild mental illness involving symptoms of anxiety, depression, or obsessive behaviour that does not involve a loss of contact with reality.
Neurosis was once a central concept in psychology, contrasted with psychosis (which involves a break from reality). Although the term has been largely replaced in clinical diagnosis by more specific categories such as anxiety disorders, it remains widely used in everyday language to describe excessive worry or irrational behaviour. The adjective neurotic is common in informal speech.
Examples
- Freud believed that neurosis was caused by unresolved conflicts between conscious desires and unconscious impulses. 弗洛伊德认为,神经症是意识欲望与无意识冲动之间未解决的冲突所致。Freud creía que la neurosis estaba causada por conflictos no resueltos entre deseos conscientes e impulsos inconscientes.フロイトは、神経症は意識的な欲求と無意識の衝動との間の未解決の葛藤によって引き起こされると考えた。프로이트는 신경증이 의식적 욕구와 무의식적 충동 사이의 미해결된 갈등에서 비롯된다고 보았다.
- Her neurosis about cleanliness meant she spent hours each day washing and disinfecting the kitchen. 她对清洁的神经质使她每天花数小时清洗和消毒厨房。Su neurosis con la limpieza le hacía pasar horas cada día lavando y desinfectando la cocina.彼女の潔癖に対する神経症的なこだわりにより、毎日何時間もかけて台所を洗浄・消毒していた。청결에 대한 그녀의 신경증적 집착으로 인해 매일 몇 시간씩 부엌을 씻고 소독했다.
- The character's charming neurosis provided much of the comedy in the Woody Allen film. 该角色迷人的神经质为这部伍迪·艾伦的电影贡献了大量笑料。La encantadora neurosis del personaje proporcionó gran parte de la comicidad en la película de Woody Allen.その登場人物の魅力的な神経質さが、ウディ・アレン映画の笑いの大部分を生み出していた。그 등장인물의 매력적인 신경질적 성격이 우디 앨런 영화의 웃음 대부분을 만들어냈다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: academic, general, media
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Greek neuron (nerve) with the suffix -osis (condition). Coined by Scottish physician William Cullen in 1769 to describe disorders of the nervous system.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
More From This Topic
More from Psychology & Behaviour
Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation & spaced repetition — all free