concussion
Americannoun
-
concussions
plural
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Pathology. injury to the brain or spinal cord due to jarring from a blow, fall, or the like.
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shock caused by the impact of a collision, blow, etc.
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the act of violently shaking or jarring.
noun
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a jarring of the brain, caused by a blow or a fall, usually resulting in loss of consciousness
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any violent shaking; jarring
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing concussion
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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Drama
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Game Changer
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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.
See Examples For:
In an earlier statement, McConnell claimed he didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
In 2023, McConnell tripped, sustained a concussion, and was away from the Senate for nearly six weeks.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
Shoaib Bashir took two in an over and Jofra Archer one, as well as striking Blair Tickner with a blow that eventually ruled the seamer out of the match with concussion.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
Rushing hadn’t yet gone through the second round of concussion testing needed to clear him to play when Roberts addressed the media Tuesday afternoon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
James said it felt better when he was sitting up and he thought he might have a concussion.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
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
The “why” could be bad luck, better awareness in diagnosing concussions or something else.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026
Both fighters have had extra concussion tests with Rousey acknowledging she was forced to retire from the UFC in 2016 because of repeated concussions.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
New Orleans Saints: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State — Chris Olave has been great for the Saints, but he’s prone to concussions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
A long shear of light and then a series of low concussions.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
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.
