paroxysmal

[ par-uhk-siz-muhl, puh-rok‐ ]

adjective

sudden and uncontrolled: In 2 years of continuous observations, volcanic activity included minor explosions, persistent degassing, paroxysmal eruptions, and lava flows.This region of the world is going through paroxysmal changes, and ongoing humanitarian aid is a critical need.
Medicine/Medical. occurring periodically, especially with brief episodes; recurrent: Paroxysmal cough was observed in 89% of the infants studied.

Origin of paroxysmal

First recorded in 1570–80; paroxysm + -al¹

Soliris, the company’s biggest product with almost $4 billion in 2019 sales, is a monoclonal antibody used to treat rare conditions such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.
AstraZeneca acquires rare-disease specialist Alexion in $39 billion deal | kdunn6 | December 13, 2020 | Fortune
Rather than studying these explosions from a distance through telescopes, Park, a physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, creates something akin to these paroxysmal blasts using the world’s highest-energy lasers.
Giant lasers help re-create supernovas’ explosive, mysterious physics | Emily Conover | November 12, 2020 | Science News
But this time, the city is mourning without the same paroxysmal displays of rage.
Mumbai’s High Terror Risk | Anuj Chopra | July 15, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
It is daring, flippantly defiant, paroxysmal, and redundant in explosive adjectives; but it is not true to nature.
Belford's Magazine, Vol. II, No. 3, February 1889 | Various
The crust of the earth is subject to certain movements, which are either sudden and paroxysmal, or protracted and tranquil.
Geology | James Geikie

The subsidence would be gradual, the elevation paroxysmal, and perhaps intermittent.
The Story of the Earth and Man | J. W. Dawson
These fits of paroxysmal coughing are much more severe than spells of ordinary coughing.
The Eugenic Marriage, Volume IV. (of IV.) | Grant Hague
Itching, commonly intense, is usually a conspicuous symptom; it may be more or less paroxysmal.
Essentials of Diseases of the Skin | Henry Weightman Stelwagon

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