Word
cortisol
Phoneticscor·ti·sol
US/ˈkɔɹtɪˌsɔɫ/
UK/kˈɔːtɪsˌɒl/
Definitions
01the stress hormone
n. a natural chemical in your body that increases when you are under pressure or feeling stressed.
n. a glucocorticoid hormone produced by the adrenal glands that mediates metabolic processes and increases in response to physical or psychological stress.
“High levels of cortisol can make it very difficult to get a good night's sleep.”
“Chronic elevation of cortisol levels is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes, including impaired immune function and increased abdominal fat storage.”
Technical
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the hormone generally; countable when referring to specific measurements or types.
Teaching tip
While technically a biological term, it is now common in general health and wellness discussions to describe the physical effects of stress.
Synonyms
02slang for stress
n. a modern way to talk about feeling stressed or anxious.
n. a metonymic use where the name of the hormone represents the state of stress or anxiety itself.
“My cortisol is so high right now because of all these deadlines.”
“The constant notifications on her phone were spiking her cortisol throughout the entire workday.”
Informal · Slang
Usage
Often used with verbs like 'spike', 'raise', or 'lower' in a non-medical context.
Teaching tip
This usage is very common in social media and 'wellness' culture to describe a general feeling of being overwhelmed.
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Frequent cannabis users may wake up with unusually high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, suggesting their daily stress rhythms could be disrupted.” “Higher levels of cortisol also worsens sleep further, locking workers into a self-reinforcing cycle.” Etymology
From cortisone + -ol.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/cortisol