hypervigilant
Americanadjective
-
especially wary or alert.
All high school and college coaches need to be hypervigilant about suspected brain injuries.
-
overly sensitive and reactive to stimuli.
PTSD sufferers may experience nightmares and heightened anxiety, and they may be hypervigilant and develop an increased startle response.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hypervigilant
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.
While she herself was never reported, seeing people in her community being charged and tried made her hypervigilant.
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
He accused attorneys for the city of minimizing the threat that such officers face while dealing with suspects who have a propensity for violence and are hypervigilant about the presence of law enforcement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2024
Therefore, I am hypervigilant and try to reduce my e-footprint, but not immune.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 14, 2024
The list of activities that could get millions of Americans arrested by a hypervigilant enforcer of the statute is mind-blowing.
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2024
"Those who are hypervigilant due to anxiety or trauma are very prone over apologizing."
From Salon ● Nov. 29, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
