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

See Examples For:

dopamine dopamines

Additional experiments showed that activation of the central amygdala reduced dopamine release in important parts of the brain's reward system while the mice were eating for pleasure.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026

Talk of dopamine and digital addiction is mostly rhetoric dressed as neuroscience.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

Among them were mGluR4 and NPDC1, two proteins found on dopamine producing neurons in the substantia nigra, the brain region most heavily affected by Parkinson's disease.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

They also showed a 250% rise in dopamine, the feel-good hormone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

The second stage, attraction, is governed by dopamine and serotonin.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

She likes babies: the thought of them fills her with dopamines and endorphins; and the inveterate shopper that she is, buying for them couldn't make her much higher.

From Tokyo to Tijuana: Gabriele Departing America by Sills, Steven (Steven David Justin)