convulsive
Americanadjective
-
of the nature of or characterized by convulsions or spasms.
- Synonyms:
- spasmodic
-
producing or accompanied by convulsion.
convulsive rage.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of convulsive
From the Latin word convulsīvus, dating back to 1605–15. See convulse, -ive
Explanation
A convulsive movement is jerky and uncontrollable. A convulsive sob is the kind where your body shakes when you cry, and convulsive dance moves at a party might scare your partner away. Sometimes our bodies move in ways we can't control — like a convulsion, which is a quick, jerky muscular contraction. These contractions are also described as spastic and spasmodic. Movements that are like convulsions can be called convulsive. When you throw up, your body makes convulsive movements. But not all convulsive movements are bad — convulsive laughing is the really good kind. Convulsive movements are powerful; they're much bigger than tremors, which are also involuntary movements but are small.
Vocabulary lists containing convulsive
The Diary of Anne Frank
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Excerpt from "The Diary of Anne Frank"
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The Odyssey
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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.
Convulsive therapy is one of the oldest treatment practices in the world of psychiatry and was officially “discovered” in the 1930s by Ladislas J. Meduna, a Hungarian neuropathologist and neuropsychiatrist.
From Slate • Dec. 21, 2022
Convulsive movements of the jaws required the insertion of a gag to protect her tongue and cheeks.
From Time Magazine Archive
Convulsive postwar events like those in Greece, Turkey, Berlin, Lebanon and the Suez that confronted Presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower led to swift responses that added up to a sense of American resolve.
From Time Magazine Archive
Convulsive shudders began to creep over the frame—an indication that a warmer bath would be judicious.
From The History of Margaret Catchpole A Suffolk Girl by Cobbold, Richard
Convulsive trembling rose from her feet to her heart.
From Adieu by Wormeley, Katharine Prescott
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.
