1. [informal] A person who is regarded as eccentric or mad
   "Everyone thought he was a basket case for believing in alien abductions";
   - nutter [Brit, informal], wacko [informal], whacko [informal], nutbar [N. Amer, informal], nutjob [informal], wackadoodle [N. Amer, informal], nutcake [US, informal], fruitcake [informal], whackjob [N. Amer, informal], wackjob [N. Amer, informal], mentalist [Brit, informal]
    
2. A country, organization, or system that is completely unable to function effectively
   "The company was a basket case after years of mismanagement"

Derived forms: basket cases

See also: madman

Type of: dag [Austral, NZ, informal], eccentric, flake [N. Amer, informal], geek [informal], oddball [informal]

Encyclopedia: Basket case