hypervigilant

American  

[hahy-per-vij-uh-luhnt] / ˌhaɪ pərˈvɪdʒ ə lənt /

adjective

1. especially wary or alert.

   All high school and college coaches need to be hypervigilant about suspected brain injuries.

2. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• hypervigilantness
  noun
• hypervigilantly
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of hypervigilant

hyper- ( def. ) + vigilant ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hypervigilant

"Because they're constantly frightened of the event happening again, they stay in red alert mode so they're hypervigilant, always looking out for danger, always looking over their shoulder, even when danger isn't there."

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

As someone who likes to have the same breakfast every morning — a slice of apple pie — and is hypervigilant about counting ballots, all the changes have been hard, but exciting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2024

Then I started going down the checklist: I was hypervigilant; I couldn’t stop reliving the events; I had debilitating anxiety; I had trouble breathing and talking; I experienced intense guilt; I couldn’t sleep or focus.

From Slate ● Feb. 1, 2024

Police officers are human underneath the uniform, she said, and experiencing repeated trauma can result in hypervigilant behavior.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 26, 2023

"Those who are hypervigilant due to anxiety or trauma are very prone over apologizing."

From Salon ● Nov. 29, 2023

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