"Nervous exhaustion" was another name for a supposed psychopathology called "neurasthenia," a physical weakening of nerves that led to fatigue, anxiety, weakness, headache, and other somatic symptoms. It's cause was conjectured to be the stress caused by modern life. We might call this a nervous breakdown today, a state of dysfunction brought about by stress.
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.