1. A condition of physical and mental exhaustion, characterized by fatigue, weakness, and inability to concentrate; historically diagnosed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Usage: archaic or historical medical term; largely replaced by modern diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, or chronic fatigue syndrome

Examples

• Victorian physicians frequently diagnosed neurasthenia in patients complaining of persistent tiredness and emotional distress.
• The doctor attributed her neurasthenia to the stresses of modern urban life.
• Neurasthenia was once considered a serious medical condition but is no longer recognized in contemporary diagnostic manuals.
• He suffered from neurasthenia and was advised to rest and take a restorative vacation.
• The term neurasthenia has largely fallen out of medical use in favor of more specific diagnoses.