hypervigilance

American

[hahy-per-vij-uh-luhns] / ˌhaɪ pərˈvɪdʒ ə ləns /

noun

the state or quality of being extremely alert or watchful.

The patient outwardly exhibits classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, including hypervigilance, anxiety, facial tics, and extreme paranoia.

Etymology

Origin of hypervigilance

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Hypervigilance is the name of the game when you have a reactive dog.

From Salon • Aug. 18, 2025

Hypervigilance and pricking fear were useful when survival depended on evading lions; they are not particularly productive when the predators are Alzheimer’s and cancer.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 6, 2020

"Hypervigilance" is part of the job when it comes to police work, Janice says.

From BBC • Sep. 3, 2019

Hypervigilance is normal for parents after a natural disaster because of the parents’ own stress, explained Ammirati.

From The Guardian • Aug. 7, 2018

Hypervigilance might manifest in becoming overly protective of one’s own offspring, or suspecting danger in every situation.

From Washington Times • Jul. 28, 2014

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023