adrenaline rush

American  

[uh-dren-l-in ruhsh] / əˈdrɛn l ɪn ˌrʌʃ /

noun

1. a sudden, intense feeling of exhilaration or excitement caused by or as if by a surge of adrenaline.

   It's the adrenaline rush and the intensity of the competition that I most look forward to.

   These folks eat, breathe, and sleep roller coasters and can never get enough of an adrenaline rush.

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Etymology

Origin of adrenaline rush

First recorded in 1965–70

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

adrenaline rush

The butterflies never go away, Dalton said, and an adrenaline rush right before a physically demanding stunt is inevitable.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

The downside is you might be a bit groggy, but the adrenaline rush should take over so you enjoy it, although you "might struggle to then fall back asleep", says Revell.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

But then it's finished "and there's a bit of baby blues afterwards," as she comes down off the adrenaline rush.

From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 2026

“It was an adrenaline rush until the end after that. It just took a little confidence.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 28, 2025

Without intending to do so, wealthy donor countries injected a kind of adrenaline rush into the grubby world of North Korean street trading.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

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