an obsolete technical term for a neurosis characterized by extreme lassitude and inability to cope with any but the most trivial tasks
Derived forms
neurasthenic (ˌnjʊərəsˈθɛnɪk)
adjective, noun
neurastheniac (ˌnjʊərəsˈθiːnɪæk)
noun
neurasthenically (ˌneurasˈthenically)
adverb
neurasthenia in American English
(ˌnʊrəsˈθiniə; ˌ njʊrəsθiniə)
noun
a former category of mental disorder, including such symptoms as irritability, fatigue, weakness, anxiety, and localized pains without apparent physical causes, thought to result from weakness or exhaustion of the nervous system