hyperacusis

American  

[hahy-per-uh-kyoo-sis] / haɪ pər əˈkju sɪs /

noun

1. a disorder characterized by hearing everyday sounds at an increased and often painful volume.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hyperacusis

Through thoughtful exposition told visually and through performance, we learn that Niki has a hearing disorder called hyperacusis, an extreme sensitivity to sound and “uncontrolled acoustic environments.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

Karen has not been able to find any cure or even treatment to ease the pain caused by hyperacusis, which is accompanied by the far more common and widely known tinnitus.

From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2024

And don’t aggravate the artist’s hyperacusis, a hearing disorder in which ordinary sounds can be painful, and the reason that Merritt switched from guitar to ukulele and Gonson from drums to piano.

From The New Yorker ● Jun. 11, 2018

I think the word is hyperacusis, which is extreme sensitivity, and it’s the stage before tinnitus.

From The Verge ● Jun. 1, 2018

Then we come to that apparent contradiction in terms, hyperacusis, where loud and therefore audible noises, like drums, instead of being welcome are truly painful.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 7, 2010