convulsive
Americanadjective
-
of the nature of or characterized by convulsions or spasms.
- Synonyms:
- spasmodic
-
producing or accompanied by convulsion.
convulsive rage.
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
"Kiss me, take my heart, break it again," he sings atop a convulsive electro pulse, as dancers pull him into a transparent "sweat box" that represents the relationship he can't escape.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
John Simpson of the BBC noted recently that “there are years when the world goes through some fundamental, convulsive change.”
From Salon • Mar. 5, 2025
Continuous monitoring of child deaths and improvements in health records to track how often these convulsive seizures precede death, he explains, will be needed for this to be confirmed.
From Science Daily • Jan. 4, 2024
"Such crises are resolved through understanding and reliance on rationality, away from the language of emotion and convulsive populist statements that only produce more crises and tension", Sudani was quoted as telling his cabinet.
From Reuters • Sep. 26, 2023
With that, and a convulsive squeeze of Herbie’s unresponsive metal fingers, she left.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
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.
