dopamine

American  

[doh-puh-meen] / ˈdoʊ pəˌmin /

noun

dopamines plural

1. Biochemistry. a catecholamine neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, retina, and sympathetic ganglia, acting within the brain to help regulate movement and emotion: its depletion may cause Parkinson's disease.

2. Pharmacology. a dopamine preparation used to increase the force of contraction of the heart in the treatment of shock.

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dopamine British  

/ ˈdɒpəmɪn /

noun

1. a chemical found in the brain that acts as a neurotransmitter and is an intermediate compound in the synthesis of noradrenaline. Formula: (HO) 2 C 6 H 3 (CH 2 ) 2 NH 2

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dopamines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dopamine

First recorded in 1955–60; see origin at dopa, amine

Compare meaning

How does dopamine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• dopamine vs. serotonin

Example Sentences

Most current antidepressants work by targeting brain chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

Sally's story is among the hundreds the BBC has heard over the past year and a half, describing the devastating side effects of dopamine agonist drugs.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

“You can get that dopamine hit so much quicker and so much more often,” said Fields, who specializes in addiction psychology and biology.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

An older sister turns to sewing her bin of fabric scraps into a quilt top or putting together a jigsaw puzzle to get her dopamine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

And each time you respond, you get a hit of dopamine.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel