basket case
English · Thesaurus
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basket case
Where it comes from
From basket + case.
* (injured soldier): Based on rumors during World War I that wounded soldiers were transported in baskets.
* (item to be repaired): The item's components might be brought for repair in a basket.
noun basket cases · basketcase · basket-case
- Someone (especially a soldier) who has lost all four limbs. The Surgeon General of the Army […] denies […] that there is any foundation for the stories that have been circulated […] of the existence of ‘basket cases’ in our hospitals.
- An institution or country in a bad condition or difficult situation (economically, financially or otherwise). This country is a financial basket case, a country so broke that it should be a perfect warning to lenders.
-
One made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic, stress or exhaustion; someone considered mentally unstable.
She was a complete basket case the morning of her wedding.
Similar: emotional cripple
- An item in a disassembled state that is brought to be repaired.
Translations
Every language
noun in a bad condition
| Español | caso perdido |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 糟糕 zāogāo |
| Deutsch | hoffnungsloser Fall |
noun one made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic or stress
| 中文 | 廢人 /废人 fèirén |
|---|---|
| Français | épave, loque |
| Deutsch | Nervenbündel |
Talk about this word "basket case." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/basket%20case. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. basket case. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/basket%20case "basket case." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/basket%20case.Cite this
@misc{basket_case_2026,
title = {basket case},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/basket%20case},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
