dystonia

American

[dis-toh-nee-uh] / dɪsˈtoʊ ni ə /

noun

Pathology.

abnormal tone of any tissue.

dystonia British

/ dɪsˈtəʊnɪə /

noun

a neurological disorder, caused by disease of the basal ganglia, in which the muscles of the trunk, shoulders, and neck go into spasm, so that the head and limbs are held in unnatural positions

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

dystonic

adjective

Etymology

Origin of dystonia

dys- + -tonia

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.

Focal hand dystonia, for example, may strike writers, making it difficult to hold a pen.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

Jacob was diagnosed with the rare condition when he was a few days old, and since developed gastrointestinal dystonia, a debilitating stomach condition caused by neurological impairment.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2025

It’s happened often enough that scientists at the Mayo Clinic have a more formal definition for it—involuntary wrist spasms that can stem from a neurological condition called focal dystonia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

"There's a lot of interest from the dystonia community, and we get many calls from patients asking, 'When will this drug be available? How can I have a prescription?'"

From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2024

The Mayo Clinic describes it as “a type of focal dystonia, a condition that causes involuntary muscle contractions during a specific task.”

From Salon • Aug. 1, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023