convulse

verb

con·​vulse kən-ˈvəls How to pronounce convulse (audio)
convulsed; convulsing

transitive verb

: to shake or agitate violently
especially : to shake with or as if with irregular spasms
was convulsed with laughter

intransitive verb

: to become affected with convulsions
Choose the Right Synonym for convulse

shake, agitate, rock, convulse mean to move up and down or to and fro with some violence.

shake often carries a further implication of a particular purpose.

shake well before using

agitate suggests a violent and prolonged tossing or stirring.

an ocean agitated by storms

rock suggests a swinging or swaying motion resulting from violent impact or upheaval.

the whole city was rocked by the explosion

convulse suggests a violent pulling or wrenching as of a body in a paroxysm.

spectators were convulsed with laughter

Examples of convulse in a Sentence

The patient reacted to the medication and began convulsing. The country was convulsed by war.
Recent Examples on the Web Her two surviving sons looked right at her, still alive but now convulsing in pain. Emily Davies, Washington Post, 8 Dec. 2023 Alabama is seeking to execute a second inmate using a nitrogen gas that became the subject of controversy last month when convicted murdered Kenneth Smith was observed convulsing and gasping for air while being put to death. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 Randall-Saldivar started to convulse and had difficulty breathing, the district attorney said. Paloma Chavez, Sacramento Bee, 23 Jan. 2024 In 2020, as the pandemic took hold and protests convulsed the nation after the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, the United States saw the largest increase in murders ever recorded. Campbell Robertson, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2023 But absent a cessation of hostilities, the war could convulse the region, bringing in anti-Israel factions based in Lebanon and Syria, and spawning an unprecedented flow of Palestinian refugees into Egypt. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2023 But on November 10 a crescendo of quakes—some fairly violent—shook the area, and the ground convulsed dramatically; that supply of magma rapidly ascended and then pooled just 800 meters or so below Grindavík, prompting the town’s speedy evacuation. Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 19 Dec. 2023 The atrocities that Hamas had committed also continued to convulse Israeli society. Miriam Jordan Afif Amireh, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023 The campus was convulsed by demands for the resignation of Harvard’s president, Claudine Gay, after allegations of plagiarism and anger over her handling of antisemitism and threats to Jewish students, which spurred a donor revolt. Maureen Farrell, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'convulse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin convulsus, past participle of convellere to pluck up, convulse, from com- + vellere to pluck — more at vulnerable

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of convulse was in 1614

Dictionary Entries Near convulse

Cite this Entry

“Convulse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convulse. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

convulse

verb
con·​vulse kən-ˈvəls How to pronounce convulse (audio)
convulsed; convulsing
: to shake violently
especially : to shake with usually uncontrolled jerky movements
convulsed with laughter

Medical Definition

convulse

verb
con·​vulse kən-ˈvəls How to pronounce convulse (audio)
convulsed; convulsing

transitive verb

: to shake or agitate violently
especially : to shake or cause to shake with or as if with irregular spasms
was convulsed with pain

intransitive verb

: to become affected with convulsions
some children will inevitably convulse when fever reaches a high pointH. R. Litchfield & L. H. Dembo

More from Merriam-Webster on convulse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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