sensory overload

American  

[sen-suh-ree oh-ver-lohd] / ˈsɛn sə ri ˈoʊ vərˌloʊd /

noun

Physiology, Medicine/Medical.

1. a condition of being overwhelmed by an excessive amount of such stimuli as noise, activity, the company of emotional people, etc..

   An anxiety disorder like PTSD can make sensory overload especially easy to trigger.

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Etymology

Origin of sensory overload

First recorded in 1955–60

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sensory overload

I didn’t know about some of the symptoms, like foot pain or sensory overload.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

The borough’s “Backyard Explorers Microschool” promises preschoolers “a place where they can get away from the sensory overload and just play freely.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

Autistic people may experience challenges with communication, understanding others' thoughts or emotions, managing sensory overload, coping with unfamiliar environments, and engaging in repetitive behaviors.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 28, 2025

Back onstage, the sensory overload was total: the roar of the crowd, the strobing lights, the sub-bass rattling through their bodies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2025

If, of course, your definition of groovy is sensory overload.

From "Lawn Boy Returns" by Gary Paulsen

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