What does dopamine mean?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter — a chemical messenger — produced in the brain and other parts of the body, where it transmits signals between nerve cells. It is best known for its role in the brain's reward system: dopamine surges when we anticipate or receive something rewarding, such as food, praise, or achievement, reinforcing behaviours that led to the reward. It also plays essential roles in regulating movement, motivation, attention, and mood. Because of this, dopamine features prominently both in neuroscience and in everyday language, where people speak casually of a "dopamine hit" from likes on social media or a favourite snack. Imbalances in dopamine signalling are implicated in serious medical conditions, including Parkinson's disease, which involves the loss of dopamine-producing neurons, and addiction, in which the reward system becomes dysregulated. In medicine, synthetic dopamine can also be given intravenously to raise blood pressure in critically ill patients.
nounA neurotransmitter present in the brain and body that plays a key role in reward-motivated behaviour, movement, and mood regulation.
- (Biochemistry) A catecholamine neurotransmitter in the brain and body, involved in reward-motivated behaviour, motor control, and mood.
- (Medicine) A drug form of dopamine administered intravenously, used to treat shock and low blood pressure by increasing heart output and blood flow.
"Exercise triggers the release of dopamine, which helps explain the sense of well-being that follows a good workout."
"Completing a difficult puzzle gave her a small burst of dopamine."
"Doctors sometimes administer dopamine intravenously to stabilise patients in severe shock."
The plural is rare and used mainly in technical or pharmacological contexts referring to multiple forms, preparations, or instances of dopamine; in general usage the word is treated as uncountable.
"Different synthetic dopamines have been trialled in cardiovascular treatments."
Your brain releases dopamine not when you get a reward, but when you anticipate one — it's the chemistry of wanting, more than having.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dopamine
The word "dopamine" was coined in the mid-20th century from "DOPA", an abbreviation for dihydroxyphenylalanine, an amino-acid precursor of the compound, combined with "-amine", the standard chemical suffix for compounds containing nitrogen derived from ammonia. It entered English usage in the 1950s as biochemists identified and characterised the substance's role as a neurotransmitter. The "-amine" element ultimately traces back through French and German chemical nomenclature to "ammonia", giving it shared roots with related chemical terms such as "amino" and "amphetamine".
Related word forms
How dopamine is actually used
"Dopamine" is a scientific term used freely in informal contexts — especially in phrases like "dopamine hit" or "dopamine fix" — to describe any quick pleasurable or motivating experience. Strictly speaking, popular claims about "dopamine" driving pleasure are simplifications; neuroscientists emphasise its role in motivation and learning as much as in pleasure itself.
Easily confused with dopamine
Serotonin is a different neurotransmitter chiefly associated with mood stability, sleep, and digestion, whereas dopamine is associated primarily with reward, motivation, and movement.
Endorphins are peptides released to reduce pain and produce euphoria, while dopamine is a neurotransmitter central to reward signalling and motor control.