Meaning & use
hypervigilance
Last updated
UK/ˌhaɪpəˈvɪdʒɪləns/
US/ˌhaɪpərˈvɪdʒələns/
Meaning
noununcountablemedical
An unusually heightened state of alertness in which a person keeps scanning for danger, even when none is likely.
Grammar: Uncountable: suffer from hypervigilance.
Patterns
- hypervigilance about something
After the accident, she developed hypervigilance and flinched at loud noises.
Hypervigilance can leave people exhausted.
Therapy helped him reduce his hypervigilance in crowds.
Common combinations
- symptoms of hypervigilance
- Racing thoughts are among the symptoms of hypervigilance.
- experience hypervigilance
- Veterans sometimes experience hypervigilance.
- trauma and hypervigilance
- Trauma and hypervigilance often appear together.
- chronic hypervigilance
- Chronic hypervigilance affected his sleep.
Synonyms and how they differ
- vigilance
- Normal, useful watchfulness without the excess.
- watchfulness
- Milder and everyday.
Opposites
Word family
- hypervigilant adjective
- in a state of excessive alertness
- vigilance noun
- careful watchfulness
Commonly confused: hypervigilance or vigilance?
hypervigilance vs vigilance
Vigilance is helpful attention; hypervigilance is excessive and tiring.
Practice
Which person best shows hypervigilance?
Choose one answer.
Hypervigilance is excessive alertness to danger. The others are unrelated.
Make it your own
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