fight-or-flight

American  

[fahyt-er-flahyt] / ˈfaɪt ərˈflaɪt /

adjective

1. causing, caused by, or being the body's physiological response to stress, involving the release of epinephrine and effects such as increased heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, in preparation for self-defense or escape.

---

noun

1. the fight-or-flight response or a situation that elicits it.

fight-or-flight British  

noun

1. (modifier) involving or relating to an involuntary response to stress in which the hormone adrenaline is secreted into the blood in readiness for physical action, such as fighting or running away

---

Example Sentences

Vd Roest was well aware that the man’s virtually generated image wasn’t real, but that didn’t stop a fight-or-flight response from kicking in upon seeing his face.

From Slate • Dec. 18, 2025

For example, norepinephrine, a chemical involved in the body's "fight-or-flight" response, is often higher than normal in anxiety disorders.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2025

The softening of their features could be due to shifts in their fight-or-flight response on the cellular level, it says.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025

For dual CEOs to work well together, it’s essential they operate in a “high trust” capacity, and not in a fight-or-flight mode, Korn Ferry’s Edison Stevenson said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025

In fight-or-flight situations it’s street smarts that will get you out alive.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman