adrenaline - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
English
Noun
adrenaline (usually uncountable, plural adrenalines)
- (biochemistry) Epinephrine, the hormone and neurotransmitter.
- Excitement; thrills.
- ✤ Some people bungee jump to feel alive through the surge of adrenaline.
- ✤ May be it’s not as heavy as he thought, or may be he’s on adrenaline overdrive.1
- ✤ Despite the crisis, the adrenaline that must have been feeding his own alarm, Tim managed to maintain his control and spoke in a subdued tone, assuring the tenderman and all of us that things would be okay.2
Etymology
From adrenal + -ine, coined by Japanese chemist Takamine Jōkichi in 1901.
Pronunciation
- IPA: /əˈdɹɛnəlɪn/
- Audio (Southern England): 🔊
Printed 2026-06-28.
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