convulsion

American  

[kuhn-vuhl-shuhn] / kənˈvʌl ʃən /

noun

• convulsions
  plural

1. contortion of the body caused by violent, involuntary muscular contractions of the extremities, trunk, and head.

2. violent agitation or disturbance; commotion.

3. an outburst of great, uncontrollable laughter.

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convulsion British  

/ kənˈvʌlʃən /

noun

1. a violent involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles

2. a violent upheaval, disturbance, or agitation, esp a social one

3. informal (usually plural) uncontrollable laughter

   I was in convulsions

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convulsion Cultural  

1. A severe, often violent involuntary contraction of the muscles. Convulsions may be caused by high fevers or poisoning and often accompany such diseases such as epilepsy.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• convulsionary
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• convulsions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of convulsion

First recorded in 1575–85, convulsion is from the Latin word convulsiōn- (stem of convulsiō ). See convulse, -ion

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Explanation

If you see someone have a convulsion, it can either be scary or funny, depending on whether it's caused by a medical condition or a really funny joke. A convulsion is a jerking, uncontrolled movement. When a person has a convulsion, it appears as a sudden, violent movement of the body. Convulsions most often happen as a result of a medical condition or illness like epilepsy, but you can also describe a jerky, irregular movement as a convulsion, even if it's caused by hiccups or laughter. A political upheaval or social turmoil can also be called a convulsion, if it's abrupt and violent. The Latin root word is convulsionem, which means "to tear loose."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

convulsion convulsions

No one should have to endure such horrible, public pain, experienced simultaneously with a nationwide convulsion.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

What they couldn’t know at the time was that a major convulsion was coming for the golf world: LIV’s funding was about to evaporate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Ronaldo suffered a convulsion earlier in the day but was given the green light to start for Mario Zagallo's side.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

The remaining two recordings were triggered by sound or motion, but only one suggested that a muscle convulsion, a sign of seizure, had occurred.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 4, 2024

But eventually it had to subside, and the ocean was a little calmer after the convulsion.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

A new surge in oil prices sent stocks lower, extending moves that have rippled through financial markets and threatened to set off convulsions in the world economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026

Novo has suffered repeated convulsions amid a dramatic selloff that has sent shares down by more than 60% since the middle of last year.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2025

A more severe and concerning case can cause neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness, or paralysis.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2025

There's this much reported case of a woman who suffered from convulsions after taking a medicine for diabetes which had a similar sounding name to an analgesic she had been prescribed.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2025

It was an awesome thing to watch such a massive creature having such mighty convulsions.

From "The BFG" by Roald Dahl

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Related Words

• contraction
• cramp
• paroxysm
• seizure
• tremor

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