adrenaline rush

[ uh-dren-l-in ruhsh ]

noun

1. a sudden, intense feeling of exhilaration or excitement caused by or as if by a surge of adrenaline:

   It's the adrenaline rush and the intensity of the competition that I most look forward to.

   These folks eat, breathe, and sleep roller coasters and can never get enough of an adrenaline rush.

Word History and Origins

Origin of adrenaline rush¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

The adrenaline rush of anticipation, the extra weight of fear as those men walked on into the unknown.

From The Daily Beast

After the adrenaline rush of the emergency came the seemingly never-ending effort to clear away the debris.

From The Daily Beast

Mike McCurry, the former Clinton White House spokesman, says the “adrenaline rush” of campaigning is clearly changing Obama.

From The Daily Beast

And ultimately, he makes you feel the catharsis in violence, the adrenaline rush, and the shame in that.

From The Daily Beast

“I started with drugs, but it turned out that taking stuff was more of an adrenaline rush than drugs,” says another.

From The Daily Beast