Meaning & use
adrenaline rush
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A sudden surge of energy and excitement in the body, caused by the hormone adrenaline, often in a frightening or thrilling moment.
Grammar: Usually used with an or an: I felt an adrenaline rush.
Patterns
- get an adrenaline rush from something
- an adrenaline rush of something
Jumping off the high diving board gave me an adrenaline rush.
She felt an adrenaline rush when the crowd began to cheer.
The driver's adrenaline rush faded after the near miss.
nouncountableinformal
A feeling of thrilling excitement that a person enjoys, especially when doing something risky or competitive.
Grammar: Often used for enjoyment: chasing an adrenaline rush.
Patterns
- chase an adrenaline rush
- an adrenaline rush from something
Skydivers often say they love the adrenaline rush.
For him, racing bikes is all about the adrenaline rush.
I need an adrenaline rush, so let's try the zip line.
Word forms
| plural | adrenaline rushes |
|---|
Common combinations
- get an adrenaline rush
- I always get an adrenaline rush before a match.
- feel an adrenaline rush
- He felt an adrenaline rush as the plane took off.
- chase an adrenaline rush
- Some people chase an adrenaline rush by climbing cliffs.
- a huge adrenaline rush
- Winning the final gave her a huge adrenaline rush.
- adrenaline rush wears off
- After the adrenaline rush wore off, her hands started to shake.
Synonyms and how they differ
- thrill
- Thrill names the excited feeling in general, while adrenaline rush points to a physical burst of energy.
- buzz
- Buzz is more casual and British, and it can describe a pleasant excitement without any danger.
- high
- High often suggests a longer lasting happiness, while an adrenaline rush is short and intense.
- kick
- Kick, as in get a kick out of something, describes simple enjoyment, not the strong physical surge.
Opposites
Word family
- adrenaline noun
- the hormone behind the feeling
- adrenal adjective
- relating to the glands that make adrenaline
- adrenaline junkie noun
- a person who loves dangerous thrills
- adrenalized adjective
- full of adrenaline or very excited
Commonly confused: adrenaline rush or sugar rush?
adrenaline rush vs sugar rush
A sugar rush is a burst of energy people believe comes from eating sweets, not from fear or thrill.
Practice
After the roller coaster, Mia said, "What an ___!" Which option fits best?
Choose one answer.
An adrenaline rush is the thrilling burst of energy after something exciting. Energy drain is the opposite feeling, so it would not suit her excitement.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “adrenaline rush”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.