paroxysm
any sudden, uncontrollable outburst; a fit of emotion or action: paroxysms of rage;a paroxysm of laughter;a paroxysm of coughing;The war unleashed a paroxysm of violence.
Pathology. a severe attack or a sudden increase in intensity of a disease, usually recurring periodically.
Origin of paroxysm
1Other words from paroxysm
- par·ox·ys·mal [par-uhk-siz-muhl, puh-rok‐] /ˌpær əkˈsɪz məl, pəˌrɒk‐/ par·ox·ys·mic [par-uhk-siz-mik, puh-rok‐] /ˌpær əkˈsɪz mɪk, pəˌrɒk‐/ adjective
- hy·per·par·ox·ysm, noun
Words Nearby paroxysm
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use paroxysm in a sentence
The current global paroxysm is intense and alarming, but it is a tremor not an earthquake.
In a paroxysm of rage and fear, he gave the final order, and the Well of Cawnpore thereby attained its ghastly immortality.
The Red Year | Louis TracyPincher, who followed close at her heels, gave an ominous growl, and burst off into a fresh paroxysm of barking.
The World Before Them | Susanna MoodieWhen about eight years old, in a paroxysm of ferocious hate, she pushed her brother Charles into the Bievre, where he was drowned.
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z | Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois ChristopheI cry, in a paroxysm of sudden fear, pressing my hot lips upon her face.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist | Alexander Berkman
Patients suffering from delirium tremens, for instance, may die suddenly in the midst of a paroxysm of excitement.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine | Austin Malley
British Dictionary definitions for paroxysm
/ (ˈpærəkˌsɪzəm) /
an uncontrollable outburst: a paroxysm of giggling
pathol
a sudden attack or recurrence of a disease
any fit or convulsion
Origin of paroxysm
1Derived forms of paroxysm
- paroxysmal or paroxysmic, adjective
- paroxysmally, adverb
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
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