fight-or-flight

adjective

ˈfīt-ər-ˈflīt 

: relating to, being, or causing physiological changes in the body (such as an increase in heart rate or dilation of bronchi) in response to stress

epinephrine is a fight-or-flight hormone

a fight-or-flight reaction

Examples of fight-or-flight in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Manage Stress — Some stress is inevitable, but being in chronic fight-or-flight can speed up brain aging and inflammation build up. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 14 Aug. 2026

Activities that involve repetition and rhythm, like weaving or knitting, go even further by reducing activity in the limbic system, which regulates our fight-or-flight response. — Laura Bradley, HEALTH, 14 Aug. 2026

Chronic excessive bracing leads to shallow breathing and breath-holding, which reinforces sympathetic arousal — your fight-or-flight response — and increases muscle tension. — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026

The unimaginable stress put on their longtime friendship by the adrenaline-pumping fight-or-flight situation effectively becomes the emotional crux of the movie. — Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fight-or-flight

• acolyte
• aconite
• allanite
• alunite
• amberlite
• ammonite
• amorite
• amphitrite
• analyte
• anchorite
• andesite
• anhydrite

Medical Definition

fight-or-flight

adjective

ˌfī-tər-ˈflīt

: relating to, being, or causing physiological changes in the body (such as an increase in heart rate or dilation of bronchi) in response to stress

the fight-or-flight response