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

After the emotions settled and some of the adrenaline wore off, the scene inside the Cubs' locker room wasn't necessarily what some baseball fans would come to expect out of PCA. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Even after years of inferior sequels and retreads, the pure adrenaline high of Die Hard remains inimitable. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026

Defined by its military roots, the style of Top Gun is casual, performance-based and as high-adrenaline as the actors who wore it. — Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

As the caffeine in black coffee stimulates the nervous system, levels of the neurotransmitter epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) increase. — Kristen Gasnick, Verywell Health, 9 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

adrenal entry 2 + -ine entry 2

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for adrenaline

• adrenalin
• isoprenaline
• noradrenalin
• noradrenaline

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