Hochtolerant

Hochtolerant is a German adjective formed from hoch (high) and tolerant (tolerant). It denotes a high tolerance to a given stressor or adverse condition and is used to describe organisms, substances, or systems that can endure elevated levels of that stressor.

In ecological and agricultural contexts, hochtolerant describes species or varieties with a broad tolerance to environmental extremes, such as hochtolerant against heat, drought, salinity, or acidity. In microbiology or toxicology, it may describe organisms or populations that survive exposure to high concentrations of toxins, antibiotics, or disinfectants, though the exact meaning depends on the stressor and the experimental or observational framework.

The term is more common in German-language texts; English-language equivalents are highly tolerant or able to tolerate high levels, often expressed as hochtolerant gegenüber [Stressor]. Because the concept relies on specifying the stressor and its threshold, hochtolerant lacks a universal, one-size-fits-all definition and should be interpreted in context.

Hochtolerant does not imply a fixed numerical threshold. It can describe physiological performance under stress, ecological resilience, or tolerance in materials and chemical agents, depending on the discipline. In translation, the phrase is typically rendered as highly tolerant or tolerant to specific high-stress conditions.