dopamine

IPA/ˈdəʊpəmiːn/
KK[dˈɑpəmˌaɪn]IPA/ˈdəʊpəmiːn/

dopamine — noun

1. a natural body chemical that helps nerve cells pass messages and that doctors ca

1.nounC1
Definition

a natural body chemical that helps nerve cells pass messages and that doctors can also use as a medicine in emergencies

Example

The doctor checked Mia's dopamine levels after her head injury.

collocation: dopamine levels

Low dopamine can make walking feel slow and difficult for some patients.

low dopamine affecting movement

Common collocations
  • dopamine level
  • dopamine release
  • low dopamine
  • dopamine activity
  • dopamine receptor
Synonyms
  • neurotransmitter

    a broader scientific term for any chemical that carries signals between nerve cells, not only dopamine

  • brain chemical

    an informal everyday phrase often used in popular science, but it is less exact than dopamine

Grammar Patterns

dopamine levels

release dopamine

give dopamine to a patient

Usage Note

Usually treated as an uncountable noun. In everyday English it often appears in phrases such as dopamine levels, release dopamine, and a dopamine boost; in hospital contexts, give dopamine often means use it as an emergency medicine.

Common Mistakes

The brain released many dopamines after the prize.
The brain released more dopamine after the prize.
Dopamine is usually an uncountable noun, so we do not normally use a plural form.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Dopamine, serotonin, and adrenaline are all natural body chemicals, but they are used for different functions and in different kinds of discussion. Dopamine is often mentioned when people talk about reward, motivation, movement, and signal changes in the brain. Serotonin is more often linked with mood, sleep, and general emotional balance. Adrenaline usually refers to the fast body response to fear, danger, or sudden stress, such as a racing heart. Neurotransmitter is the broad scientific label for this whole class of signaling chemicals, so it is less specific than dopamine. A doctor may test dopamine activity in a patient with movement problems, while a runner may describe feeling a rush of adrenaline at the start of a race.

dopamine ↗serotoninadrenalineneurotransmitter

Common collocations

Nouns

  • dopamine level
  • dopamine release
  • dopamine receptor
  • dopamine pathway
  • dopamine boost

Phrases

  • release dopamine
  • raise dopamine levels
  • low dopamine
  • dopamine activity in the brain

Etymology

First known use

1959

1959, in the meaning defined above