convulsion
Americannoun
-
convulsions
plural
-
contortion of the body caused by violent, involuntary muscular contractions of the extremities, trunk, and head.
-
violent agitation or disturbance; commotion.
-
an outburst of great, uncontrollable laughter.
noun
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a violent involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscles
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a violent upheaval, disturbance, or agitation, esp a social one
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informal (usually plural) uncontrollable laughter
I was in convulsions
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of convulsion
First recorded in 1575–85, convulsion is from the Latin word convulsiōn- (stem of convulsiō ). See convulse, -ion
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."
Vocabulary lists containing convulsion
Anthem
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"A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry
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That Hurts! Synonyms for "Pain"
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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:
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
Despite suffering from a convulsion hours before the final.
From BBC ● May 21, 2025
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
Another convulsion of shivers shook him, this time not from cold.
From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker
Symptoms of bird flu in mammals include tremors, convulsions, seizures and muscle weakness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2026
Novo is in convulsions amid a dramatic selloff that started in the middle of last year, the company has recently shed its CEO and all of the independent directors on its board.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2025
The back end of Mr. Bird’s book is a romp through the real-estate convulsions of Asia and the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
Jonathan said in July that his father had been suffering serious convulsions and his mother was "numb" from anaemia and malnutrition.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2025
Their illness took the form of severe diarrhea, vomiting, and convulsions.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
