convulse
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to shake violently; agitate.
-
to cause to shake violently with laughter, anger, pain, etc.
-
to cause to suffer violent, spasmodic contractions of the muscles.
verb
-
(tr) to shake or agitate violently
-
(tr) to cause (muscles) to undergo violent spasms or contractions
-
informal to shake or be overcome (with violent emotion, esp laughter)
-
(tr) to disrupt the normal running of (a country, etc)
student riots have convulsed India
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
convulsibilitynoun
-
convulsivenessnoun
-
convulsibleadjective
-
convulsiveadjective
-
unconvulsedadjective
-
convulsedlyadverb
-
convulsivelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
convulsesimple
-
convulsessimple
-
have convulsedperfect
-
has convulsedperfect
-
am convulsingprogressive
-
are convulsingprogressive
-
is convulsingprogressive
-
have been convulsingperfect progressive
-
has been convulsingperfect progressive
Past
-
convulsedsimple
-
had convulsedperfect
-
was convulsingprogressive
-
were convulsingprogressive
-
had been convulsingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of convulse
First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin convulsus, past participle of convellere “to shatter, tear loose,” equivalent to con- intensive prefix + vul- (variant stem of vellere “to pull, tear”) + -sus, variant of -tus past participle suffix; see con-
Explanation
To convulse is to have spasms. Get help immediately if you see someone convulse. This medical condition can be brought on by something simple (like a rise in body temperature) or something more complicated, such as epilepsy. In addition to being a symptom of a medical condition, to convulse is often applied to people shaking with laughter. So if you go to a club and see a hilarious comedian, you may convulse with laughter so hard that you might cry, or not be able to catch your breath, and your sides hurt.
Vocabulary lists containing convulse
The Lingo of Body Language
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Hatchet
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Four
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The author organizes shocks into three categories that will resonate with readers who have watched the world economy convulse in the past year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Then Hipolito’s body began to convulse — a possible seizure.
From Salon ● Jan. 14, 2026
Frank Santangelo alleges that Adame fled their home as soon as she saw his wife beginning to convulse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2025
This winter was the first in years when mass protests did not convulse the country.
From New York Times ● May 7, 2022
His throat tried to throw it back up, his whole body seemed to convulse with it, but his stomach took it, held it, and demanded more.
From "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen
For the next five minutes, she convulses, flings her arms violently, pounds at her legs, and runs in circles, until, with the last note of Stravinsky’s score, she falls, like a stone.
From New York Times ● Nov. 25, 2023
A shudder convulses the picture when Mollie, who’s diabetic, falls gravely and suspiciously ill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2023
Under the direction of Kenny Leon — a longtime Broadway hand here masterminding the best production of his career — the fierce rivalry and protectiveness binding this Lincoln and Booth convulses in a shattering denouement.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 20, 2022
He could not conceive of going on as normal as the nation convulses, he said, and started searching for a way to help bring the county back together.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 5, 2019
The black heap convulses and then sinks down.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
In 2001, I was a college freshman at New York University, and watched as the twin towers fell and the country convulsed in fear and rage.
From Slate ● Mar. 11, 2026
The cases stem from the aftermath of huge, sometimes violent pro-democracy protests that convulsed Hong Kong from 2019.
From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026
Last week, after Oracle reported unexpectedly high capital expenditures on chips, networking equipment and other infrastructure, the bond market convulsed, raising the cost of capital for many large tech companies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
That exchange didn't happen, of course, because when the two men came side-by-side, the pair of them seemed lost for words as Hampden convulsed all around them.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2025
For a moment her face convulsed with shock, with hope, with something stranger and more complicated than both; and then she shook her head.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Boutros said that when she heard the news of his death "I don't know what happened to me. I collapsed on the ground and was convulsing".
From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026
The man’s eyes rolled back in his head and he started convulsing.
From Salon ● Jan. 14, 2026
In May of 2023, for example, a worker harvesting corn near Brawley fell behind his colleagues and then complained of stomach pain and began convulsing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2025
He was convulsing, he was writhing, the gurney was shaking noticeably.
From New York Times ● Feb. 1, 2024
A group encircled the convulsing girl at once, eager to assist in whatever way possible.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
