concussion

American  

[kuhn-kuhsh-uhn] / kənˈkʌʃ ən /

noun

• concussions
  plural

1. Pathology. injury to the brain or spinal cord due to jarring from a blow, fall, or the like.

2. shock caused by the impact of a collision, blow, etc.

3. the act of violently shaking or jarring.

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concussion British  

/ kənˈkʌʃən /

noun

1. a jarring of the brain, caused by a blow or a fall, usually resulting in loss of consciousness

2. any violent shaking; jarring

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concussion Scientific  

/ kən-kŭsh′ən /

1. An injury to a soft structure, especially the brain, produced by a violent blow or impact and followed by a temporary, sometimes prolonged, loss of function. A concussion of the brain results in transient loss of consciousness or memory.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• concussant
  adjective
• concussional
  adjective
• concussive
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• concussions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of concussion

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin concussiōn-, stem of concussiō “a shaking,” also “earthquake, extortion”; equivalent to concuss + -ion

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Explanation

A concussion is a violent blow, especially to the head, that often injures the brain or causes a loss of consciousness — an all-too-frequent occurrence, unfortunately, in contact sports like football or boxing. First used around 1400, concussion originates from the Latin concussionem, which means "a shaking." Your brain certainly gets "a shaking" when you take a heavy blow to the head, which sometimes causes injury or permanent damage. It's not just people, though, who get concussions; a building can also suffer from a concussion during an earthquake.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

concussion concussions

Then he headed back to barracks, where he sat with the surviving troops and pretended he had suffered a concussion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Hurts had to leave the game under the NFL’s concussion protocol.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

He may return quicker than expected, however, as he has cleared the NFL’s concussion protocols and might take the field this weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

The 27-year-old American was on her way to training last week when she was involved in a "very scary" head-on collision, leaving her with a "severe" concussion.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

She rose to her knees and slid off the side of the bed, but at the moment that her feet touched the floor, a great concussion thoomed in the street.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

He has a facial tic that he blames on his concussions and a limp stemming from back problems.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Why concussions are up this year is still a mystery, and perhaps it will even out as the season goes on.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026

Atkins knew a little bit about what concussions felt like, and even this time was different.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026

Jones added that several teammates had suffered concussions which "affected their day-to-day lives", with one unable to return to rugby for about six months because of ongoing symptoms.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

Reggie was a polite boy, and the son who’d already survived a few challenges— the concussions in football; that goofy, lovable awkwardness; the odd birth.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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Related Words

• bump
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