Standard Lemma guide

cognitohazard

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /kɒɡˈni.təʊˌhæ.zəd/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-tə-/
  • General-American: /kɔɡˈni.toʊˌhæ.zəɹd/
  • General-American: /-tə-/
  • General-American: /-ɾoʊ-/
  • General-American: /-ɾə-/
  • cot-caught-merger: /kɑɡˈni.toʊˌhæ.zəɹd/
  • cot-caught-merger: /-tə-/
  • cot-caught-merger: /-ɾoʊ-/
  • cot-caught-merger: /-ɾə-/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A sensory signal (such as an image or sound) that directly causes harmful or undesired physiological effects to one who senses or perceives it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: literature, media, medicine, neurology, neuroscience, publishing, science-fiction, sciences

Examples

  • The symbol on that piece of paper is a cognitohazard which puts everyone who reads it in a week-long coma.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Blend of cognition + hazard, likely coined and popularized by the SCP Foundation wiki.