conniption
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of conniption
An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; origin uncertain
Explanation
Don’t have a conniption! Here’s the definition — a conniption is a temper tantrum, and it’s not just for toddlers. "Don't have a conniption" is another way of saying, "Take it easy. Don't throw a fit." Conniptions are fits or tantrums. A screaming toddler is a perfect example of a conniption, but adults who lose their tempers have conniptions too. People have conniptions when they lose their cool and can't control themselves. If you’ve been waiting in line for two hours then someone jumps ahead and takes the last cupcake, go ahead and have a conniption.
Vocabulary lists containing conniption
Genesis Begins Again
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The Bean Trees
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Butterfly Yellow
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The fine-tuning ends only during the technical rehearsals, when any further changes would give the designers, board operators and stage managers conniption fits.
From New York Times • Mar. 29, 2023
He didn’t plan on it lasting five years and triggering a national conniption.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 11, 2018
The telecommunications industry has responded to the PUC's initiative with what can only be described as a mass conniption fit.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2016
At the 1967 Masters, the legendary Bobby Jones—a man who, according to the Atlanta History Center, “called singular attention to the game’s best traditions”—threw a conniption at the sight of Snead’s bizarro methodology.
From Slate • Jun. 13, 2013
The moment I mentioned a lobster tank, my mother would have a conniption.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
