adrenaline

noun

adren·​a·​line ə-ˈdre-nə-lən 

: epinephrine

Note: Adrenaline is used in both technical and nontechnical contexts. It is commonly used in describing the physiological symptoms (such as increased heart rate and respiration) that occur as part of the body's fight-or-flight response to stress, as when someone is in a dangerous, frightening, or highly competitive situation, as well as the feelings of heightened energy, excitement, strength, and alertness associated with those symptoms. In figurative use, it suggests a drug that provides something with a jolt of useful energy and stimulation.

He felt a rush of adrenaline as he parachuted from the airplane.

The fans were jubilant, raucous, their adrenaline running high.

—W. P. Kinsella

My reputation was as a single-day racer; show me the start line and I would win on adrenaline and anger, chopping off my competitors one by one.

—Lance Armstrong

London's summer antiques scene has been given a massive injection of adrenaline.

—Town and Country

Examples of adrenaline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Persistent stress and the feeling of being out of control trigger complex biological interactions, including the release of the hormones cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream, that interrupt normal body functioning. —Diane Harris, TIME, 15 Apr. 2024

Enter in his place, a coach who, more than once, has served as a shot of adrenaline to a program in desperate need of one. —Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

adrenal entry 2 + -ine entry 2

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

adrenaline

noun

adren·​a·​line ə-ˈdren-ᵊl-ən 

: epinephrine

Medical Definition

adrenaline

noun

adren·​a·​line ə-ˈdren-ᵊl-ən 

: epinephrine

—recognized by the British Pharmaceutical Codex as the preferred name for epinephrine in Great Britain