neurotic

See also: neuròtic

English

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /n(j)ʊəˈɹɒtɪk/, /n(j)əˈɹɒtɪk/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒtɪk

Adjective

neurotic (not comparable)

1. Affected with a neurosis.
   • 1902, William James, “Lecture I”, in The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature […] , New York, N.Y.; London: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], →OCLC:

     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. (informal) Overly anxious.

   He is getting neurotic about time-keeping.

   • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter VI, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:

     “I don't mean all of your friends—only a small proportion—which, however, connects your circle with that deadly, idle, brainless bunch—the insolent chatterers at the opera, the gorged dowagers, the worn-out, passionless men, […], the speed-mad fugitives from the furies of ennui, the neurotic victims of mental cirrhosis, […]!”

   • 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter VIII, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:

     “You did come down a wallop, didn't you? How art thou fallen from heaven, oh Lucifer, son of the morning, I said to myself. You're so terribly neurotic, Bertie. You must try to be less jumpy. What you need is a good nerve tonic.”

3. (medicine) Useful in disorders of, or affecting, the nerves.

Derived terms

• psychoneurotic

Translations

overanxious

• Asturian: neuróticu
• Belarusian: неўраты́чны (njeŭratýčny)
• Bulgarian: невротичен (nevrotičen)
• Catalan: neuròtic
• Czech: neurotický
• Danish: neurotisk
• Dutch: neurotisch (nl)
• Finnish: neuroottinen (fi)
• French: névrotique (fr), psychotique (fr)
• Galician: neurótico
• German: neurotisch (de)
• Greek: νευρωτικός (el) m (nevrotikós)
• Hungarian: neurotikus (hu)
• Japanese: 神経質過ぎ (shinkei-shitsu–sugi)
• Latvian: neirotisks
• Polish: neurotyczny (pl) m
• Portuguese: neurótico (pt) m
• Russian: невроти́ческий (ru) (nevrotíčeskij)
• Spanish: neurótico
• Swedish: neurotisk (sv)
• Ukrainian: невроти́чний (nevrotýčnyj)

Noun

neurotic (plural neurotics)

1. A person who has a neurosis

Synonyms

• jitterbug, nervous wreck, obsessive, worrywart; see also Thesaurus:worrier

Translations

person who has a neurosis

• Bulgarian: невротик m (nevrotik), неврастеник m (nevrastenik)
• Catalan: neuròtic m
• Czech: neurotik m
• Danish: neurotiker
• Dutch: neuroot (nl) m
• Finnish: neurootikko (fi)
• French: névrotique (fr) m or f, psychotique (fr) m or f
• German: Neurotiker (de) m, Neurotikerin (de) f
• Greek: νευρωτικός (el) m (nevrotikós)
• Italian: isterico (it), nevrotico (it)
• Polish: neurotyk m
• Portuguese: neurótico (pt) m, neurótica (pt) f
• Russian: невро́тик (ru) m (nevrótik), невропа́т (ru) m (nevropát)
• Spanish: neurótico m, neurótica (es) f
• Swedish: neurotiker (sv) c

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} neurotic

References

• “neurotic, adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2003.

Anagrams

• countrie, unerotic