The meaning of BASKET CASE is a person who is functionally incapacitated from extreme nervousness, emotional distress, mental or physical overwork, etc.. How to use basket case in a sentence.

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Basket case'? An infirm or failing person or thing – unable to function properly. Originally this referred to soldiers who had lost arms and legs and had to be carried by others.

Mar 22, 2019 · The term basket case denotes someone, or something, that is incapable of functioning normally. Of American-English origin, this term initially denoted a soldier who had lost all four limbs during the First World War —as stated in the following from the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio) of Saturday 18 th January 1919:

BASKET CASE definition: 1. someone who is extremely nervous or anxious and is therefore unable to organize their life: 2…. Learn more.

There are four meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun basket case, one of which is considered offensive. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

BASKET CASE meaning: 1 : a person who is very nervous, tired, etc., and is not able to think or act normally; 2 : something (such as a company or a government) that is in very bad condition and close to failure

BASKET CASE definition: a person who is suffering from extreme nervous strain | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples

May 22, 2024 · As the term is commonly used today, a basket case is someone who is under physical or, more usually, mental distress to the point where they can no longer function. It is also used to refer refers to a dysfunctional organization or situation.

If someone describes a country or organization as a basket case, they mean that its economy or finances are in a seriously bad state.

The idiom ‘basket case’ is used to describe a person or thing that is in an extremely hopeless or chaotic condition, typically due to a combination of physical, emotional, or mental distress.