noun
- Medicine/Medical. the inability of a diseased heart to compensate for its defect.
- Psychology. a loss of ability to maintain normal or appropriate psychological defenses, sometimes resulting in depression, anxiety, or delusions.
noun
- pathol inability of an organ, esp the heart, to maintain its function due to overload caused by a disease
1900, from de- + compensation.
n.
- Failure of the heart to maintain adequate blood circulation, marked by labored breathing, engorged blood vessels, and edema.
- The appearance or exacerbation of a mental disorder due to failure of defense mechanisms.