fight-or-flight response — The physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival, preparing the body to either confront or flee the danger.
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: The physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival, preparing the body to either confront or flee the danger.
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌfaɪt ɔːr ˈflaɪt rɪˈspɑːns/
Example Sentences
- During the job interview, my fight-or-flight response made me want to either argue with the rude interviewer or run out the door screaming.
- The fight-or-flight response is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system.
- Understanding the fight-or-flight response is important for managing stress and anxiety.
fight-or-flight response
NOUN[/ˌfaɪt ɔːr ˈflaɪt rɪˈspɑːns/]
The physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival, preparing the body to either confront or flee the danger.
A hiker's fight-or-flight response kicks in when she spots a bear on the trail.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
This term was first coined in 1915 by American physiologist Walter Cannon to describe the physiological response of the sympathetic nervous system when an organism encounters a threat. 'Fight' derives from Old English 'feohtan' (to combat), while 'flight' comes from Old English 'flyht' (act of flying or fleeing). Cannon's neologism synthesizes these Anglo-Saxon verbs to denote the binary survival responses available to animals under acute stress.
Breakdown
fight (Old English feohtan, to combat) + or (conjunction) + flight (Old English flyht, to flee or fly) + response (from Latin respondere, to answer or react). The compound describes two alternative physiological reactions activated by threat perception.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“During the job interview, my fight-or-flight response made me want to either argue with the rude interviewer or run out the door screaming.”
“The fight-or-flight response is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system.”
“Understanding the fight-or-flight response is important for managing stress and anxiety.”
“When my mother-in-law knocked on the door unannounced, my fight-or-flight response chose 'flight' immediately—I hid in the bathroom.”
📚Related Words
Want to master 27,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.