superstimulus means A supernormal stimulus; an exaggerated version of a stimulus to which there is an existing response tendency, or any stimulus that elicits a response more strongly than the stimulus for which it evolved. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 82 out of 100.
Why “superstimulus” is a great word
An exaggerated version of a stimulus to which there is an existing response tendency, eliciting a response more strongly than the stimulus for which the response evolved. From the English prefix super- ("above, beyond") + stimulus (from Latin stimulus, "goad, prick, spur"). Unlike a simple "stimulus"—any agent that elicits a response—or a natural "attractant" that serves a function, a superstimulus is an artificial extreme that hijacks an evolved pathway. It is the garish, oversized plastic egg a bird will choose over her own, the synthetic, hyper-sweet flavour that makes fruit taste bland, or the algorithmic cascade of social validation that renders genuine human connection insufficient—a stark revelation of how easily our deepest instincts can be fooled by crude, amplified copies.
Etymology
From super- + stimulus.
noun
- A supernormal stimulus; an exaggerated version of a stimulus to which there is an existing response tendency, or any stimulus that elicits a response more strongly than the stimulus for which it evolved.