meltdown

noun meltdowns

1. countable An act or process of melting.
2. uncountable Severe uncontrolled overheating and melting of the fuel in the core of a nuclear reactor, with the potential for radiation to escape; (countable) an instance of this. Thus began by far the gravest crisis in the troubled, 32-year history of commercial atomic power. A catastrophe had occurred over the weekend at the Chernobyl plant, 80 miles north of Kiev, where a reactor meltdown and explosion caused untold death and suffering and raised the prospect of long-term
3. countable, rare A mass of melted material.
4. figuratively, uncountable Chiefly preceded by a descriptive word: uncontrolled disorder which often has disastrous consequences; (countable) a situation involving this; a crisis. Channel 4 switchboards went into meltdown this week when viewers called to complain about a Brass Eye programme on child sex.
5. countable, figuratively Synonym of crash (“a sudden large decline in the value of money, stocks or other assets, etc., especially one that causes additional economic difficulties”).

   Similar: crash

6. countable, figuratively, informal An emotional outburst; a fit, a tantrum.

   Similar: melty, tantrum, catfit, conniption, conniption fit, dummy spit, headfit, hissy, hissy fit, meltdown, paddy, shit fit

7. countable, figuratively, informal A response to sensory overload or stress, in which an autistic person is overwhelmed by intense, seemingly disproportionate emotions, behaving erratically and becoming unable to mask (“act more neurotypically”). I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in my forties. […] Now if I am really anxious, I can take a moment to think about what is making me anxious and what to do about it; before I would just spiral into a meltdown really quickly, with no understanding of why.

   Similar: melty

8. countable, figuratively, informal Synonym of nervous breakdown (“an attack of a psychological disorder such as anxiety or depression which is so severe that it prevents a person from continuing to function normally”); also (loosely), a situation where one is unable to function mentally due to panic, stress, etc. I had a major meltdown at work today. After being instructed one more time about additional work that I was to delegate to my direct reports, I snapped, but in a very polite manner. I excused myself from the boss' office and broke down completely in my cubicle.

   Similar: melty, mental breakdown, nervous breakdown

Opposite: melt-up