apoplectic

adjective

ap·​o·​plec·​tic ˌa-pə-ˈplek-tik How to pronounce apoplectic (audio)
1
medical : of, relating to, or causing apoplexy or stroke
also : affected with, susceptible to, or showing symptoms of apoplexy or stroke

Note: Use of apoplectic in medical contexts relating to stroke still occurs but is now generally considered dated.

2
a
: of a kind to cause or apparently cause stroke
an apoplectic rage
b
: extremely enraged
was apoplectic over the news
apoplectically adverb

Examples of apoplectic in a Sentence

Giuliani was apoplectic when the gangster fought off murder and racketeering charges and sauntered out of court in March 1987 after a sensational acquittal to bask in the TV lights. Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, June 2000
The quarrel was splendidly acrimonious. When Charles Perrault, now remembered for his fairy tales, rose in the French Academy in 1687 to champion modern authors, Nicolas Boileau, the arbiter of taste, waxed so apoplectic he lost his voice. David Coward, New York Times Book Review, 27 Apr. 1997
Don Hewitt, the program's venerable executive producer, becomes positively apoplectic when I mention the subject during a conversation about Amanpour's job negotiations. The three networks had offered her the opportunity to contribute to their evening news shows as well as to their newsmagazines. Leslie Bennetts, Vanity Fair, September 1996
She was positively apoplectic with anger when she realized she had been cheated. the coach was so apoplectic when the player missed the free throw that he threw his clipboard onto the court
Recent Examples on the Web As Joo Young, Jeon exudes the frosty composure of a girl whose existence is an exercise in survival, while Jin keeps Hyung-soo — who oscillates between frantic indignation and apoplectic anger — from becoming buffoonish. Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 2 Oct. 2023 California Your guide to the L.A. City Council District 10 race: South L.A., Mid-City, Koreatown Feb. 1, 2024 Some Country Club Park residents are apoplectic at the suggestion of removing the gates. Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024 Arms control’s high priests and priestesses, and key senators such as Joe Biden and John Kerry, were apoplectic. John R. Bolton, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024 The accusation that the cap table management and software unicorn was using customers’ confidential data to bolster its own business has left Silicon Valley startup founders apoplectic. Alexandra Garfinkle, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2024 Some police organizations are apoplectic over the proposal. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Dec. 2023 Hedwig, the gardener recalled, was apoplectic at the idea of leaving their rural hideaway. Giles Harvey, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023 Jimmy Carter left office with a deficit of $74 billion, which made conservatives apoplectic. Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 13 Mar. 2023 At the time the tape was made, in the summer of 2021, Trump was apoplectic that Milley’s fears about him were becoming public. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 28 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'apoplectic.' 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

French or Late Latin; French apoplectique, from Late Latin apoplecticus, from Greek apoplēktikos, from apoplēssein — more at apoplexy

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of apoplectic was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near apoplectic

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

apoplectic

adjective
ap·​o·​plec·​tic ˌap-ə-ˈplek-tik How to pronounce apoplectic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or causing stroke
2
: affected with or inclined to stroke
3
: seeming likely to cause stroke
an apoplectic rage
also : very angry
was apoplectic over the news

Medical Definition

apoplectic

adjective
ap·​o·​plec·​tic ˌap-ə-ˈplek-tik How to pronounce apoplectic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or causing stroke
2
: affected with, inclined to, or showing symptoms of stroke
apoplectically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on apoplectic

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