shell shock

noun

a mental disorder caused by stress of active warfare

• Syn: ↑battle fatigue, ↑combat fatigue, ↑combat neurosis

• Hypernyms: ↑posttraumatic stress disorder, ↑PTSD

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noun

: any of numerous psychoneurotic conditions akin to hysteria and anxiety neurosis appearing in soldiers exposed to modern warfare — compare combat fatigue

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shell shock UK US noun [uncountable]

a mental illness that affects soldiers who have fought in a war and makes them extremely nervous or confused

Thesaurus: specific mental illnesses and general words for mental illness_hyponym general words for illnesses, diseases and medical conditions_synonym

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shell shock,

any nervous or mental disorder resulting from the strain of combat in war; combat neurosis.

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n. see combat fatigue (sense 1). and compare with post-traumatic stress syndrome

Derivatives:

shell-shocked adj.

Origin:

World War I: with reference to exposure to shellfire

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noun [noncount]

old-fashioned : ↑battle fatigue

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ˈshell shock noun uncountable

a mental illness that can affect soldiers who have been in battle for a long time

 

Word Origin:

[shell shock] First World War: with reference to exposure to shellfire.