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hyperarousal

American  
[hahy-per-uh-rau-zuhl] / ˌhaɪ pər əˈraʊ zəl /

noun

  1. a physiological state in which a person experiences a heightened response to stimuli, including increased emotional reactivity, intense anxiety or stress, and hypervigilance.


Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

For many Americans, what began as a stress response has become a chronic state of hyperarousal and vigilance.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 12, 2025

Luckily, there’s one brain region standing between us and this cascade of hyperarousal: the prefrontal cortex, an area right behind the middle of our eyebrows.

From Scientific American Aug. 15, 2023

Chronic nightmares suggest that this adaptive process hasn’t yet worked, and are the result of ongoing hyperarousal.

From Slate Jun. 4, 2023

Additionally, according to Presnall, content is increasingly designed to “trigger hyperarousal by playing on our more primitive emotions — fear and outrage,” which activates the survival centers of our brain.

From Washington Post Jul. 29, 2020

Patients who stop taking their medication often experience Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome, which can cause flu-like symptoms, insomnia, nausea, imbalance, sensory disturbances and hyperarousal.

From Washington Times Feb. 21, 2020

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