sensory overload

American

[sen-suh-ree oh-ver-lohd] / ˈsɛn sə ri ˈoʊ vərˌloʊd /

noun

Physiology, Medicine/Medical.

a condition of being overwhelmed by an excessive amount of such stimuli as noise, activity, the company of emotional people, etc..

An anxiety disorder like PTSD can make sensory overload especially easy to trigger.

Etymology

Origin of sensory overload

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Without the time and space to "level himself" following sensory overload, she said he would not be able to access rides.

From BBC

Neurodiverse people can become overwhelmed or distressed when surrounded by large numbers of people, which can bring on sensory overload or panic attacks.

From BBC

Along with sensory overload and ravenous hunger, I felt something unexpected: a sense of déjà vu.

From The Wall Street Journal

In Denver, head to the immersive art installation Meow Wolf for sensory overload and to your nearest craft brewery or green-chile slinger for fuel.

From The Wall Street Journal

Each doll comes with a pink fidget spinner to reduce stress and improve focus, and noise-cancelling headphones to block out background sounds and therefore limit sensory overload.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023