spasm

American  

[spaz-uhm] / ˈspæz əm /

noun

• spasms
  plural

1. Pathology. a sudden, abnormal, involuntary muscular contraction, consisting of a continued muscular contraction tonic spasm or of a series of alternating muscular contractions and relaxations clonic spasm.

2. any sudden, brief spell of great energy, activity, feeling, etc.

   Synonyms:

   spurt, flash, storm, fit

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verb (used without object)

1. to undergo a spasm or spasms.

   Her eyesight had changed, and tests showed the muscles that allow the eye to focus were spasming.

spasm British  

/ ˈspæzəm /

noun

1. an involuntary muscular contraction, esp one resulting in cramp or convulsion

2. a sudden burst of activity, emotion, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• spasms
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of spasm

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English spasme, spasom, from Old French (e)spasme and Latin spasmus, from Greek spasmós “convulsion,” derivative of spân “to draw (a sword), pull out, tear out, suck in, slurp down”

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Explanation

A spasm is a sudden constriction of a muscle or blood vessel. This idea can be generalized to anything that occurs suddenly and lasts a short while. Except for a brief spasm of yard work, you had a perfectly lazy Sunday. The Greeks had a word called spasmós, which meant "to cramp or convulse." It also meant "to tear away or violently pull," which, if you've ever suffered a muscle spasm you know is a good definition. The word had a physical meaning up until around 1817, when it came to include the abstract. When you were invited to go hiking in the redwood forest, you could hardly control your spasms of joy. Make sure you stretch before hiking, so you don't get muscle spasms.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spasm spasms

Unlike bear-market bottoms, which typically end with a spasm of despair as traders throw in the towel, bull-market tops are far more gradual and less dramatic.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026

While my vocal cords spasm apart, his spasm together; while my voice gets soft and whispery, his voice is tight and gravelly.

From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026

And amid a spasm of bricks-and-mortar bankruptcies driven in part by e-commerce, retail employment fell by a quarter-million between 2017 and late 2019.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026

Salt missed Tuesday's third T20 against Sri Lanka with a back spasm but trained successfully on Friday and will take his place at the top of the order.

From Barron's ● Feb. 7, 2026

Gollum sniffed at the leaf and his face changed: a spasm of disgust came over it, and a hint of his old malice.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

While there is no sign of market panic yet, periodic spasms in the bond market—including the recent jump in Treasury yields to 24-year highs—give a hint of what’s at stake.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

The “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” singer has experienced broken ribs because of the spasms, she told Hoda Kotb on “Today” in 2024 while promoting the documentary.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

If their CTmax is exceeded, insects succumb to desiccation, muscle spasms and eventual stupor.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026

The Canadian rock duo make up Angine de Poitrine, which translates from French to angina pectoris — a condition of chest pressure caused by spasms of the heart.

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026

The dream had been dark wet sand, shifting above water, quicksand with no bottom or top, no edges; it had quivered and heaved in spasms until he choked.

From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko

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Related Words

• contraction
• convulsion
• eruption
• outburst
• pain
• paroxysm
• seizure

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