Neurotic

//n(j)ʊəˈɹɒtɪk// adj, noun, slang

adj, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A person who has a neurosis.
  2. 2
    a person suffering from neurosis wordnet
  3. 3
    A crazy person. informal

    "Drag this neurotic to hysterics, leave him balked and unfulfilled; holding inside, outwardly patient 'til the time he'll call it."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Affected with a neurosis. not-comparable

    "If there were such a thing as inspiration from a higher realm, it might well be that the neurotic temperament would furnish the chief condition of the requisite receptivity."

  2. 2
    Overly anxious. informal, not-comparable

    "He is getting neurotic about time-keeping."

  3. 3
    Useful in disorders of, or affecting, the nerves. not-comparable
Adjective
  1. 1
    affected with emotional disorder wordnet
  2. 2
    characteristic of or affected by neurosis wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
disturbedphobicschizoidabnormalaboulicalcoholic

Example

More examples

"When someone becomes neurotic about pens and paper clips, it's a sure sign they're cracking up."

Etymology

Formed of neuro- (“of nerves or the nervous system”) + -otic (“having abnormal condition”). The initial element, in turn, is from Ancient Greek νεῦρον (neûron, “nerve”). Attested from the 17th century. Compare French névrotique.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.