apoplexy
noun
ap·o·plexy
ˈa-pə-ˌplek-sē 
1
medical
a
dated
: stroke sense 5
The medical evidence showed conclusively that death was due to apoplexy.—
Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
b
: gross hemorrhage into a cavity or into the substance of an organ
pituitary apoplexy
2
: a state of intense and almost uncontrollable anger
… he had irritated his superior into apoplexy …—Kevin Patterson
Kevin Patterson… this latest attraction has sparked apoplexy among some environmentalists.—Jayne Clark
Jayne ClarkExamples of apoplexy in a Sentence
Her speech caused apoplexy among the audience members.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Whatever The amount of transgender apoplexy coming from the far-right is astounding — and troubling.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2024
But her appearance on the field with Mr. Kelce in Baltimore after the Chiefs beat the Ravens on Sunday, complete with a kiss and a hug, appears to have sent conservatives into a fit of apoplexy that may only grow in the run-up to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas Feb. 11.
—Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2024
The administration’s apoplexy has brought us to the point of crisis.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 18 Dec. 2023
There is a trick for liberals in reading the Journal’s Opinion section without having to summon the paramedics because of apoplexy.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 4 Sep. 2023
Never felt a single symptom, unless apoplexy is one of them.
—James Lileks, National Review, 17 Mar. 2022
Currently, the top cause of death globally is ischemic heart disease and the second is cerebral apoplexy (stroke).
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 16 Apr. 2021
Giants fans in a state of apoplexy should know two things, one comforting, one not so much.
—Henry Schulman, SFChronicle.com, 11 Dec. 2019
The mass cultural apoplexy in 2013 around the introduction of the cronut by Dominique Answel, a baker from New York, meanwhile, pretty much speaks for itself.
—Tim Martin, 1843, 13 June 2019
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2024
But her appearance on the field with Mr. Kelce in Baltimore after the Chiefs beat the Ravens on Sunday, complete with a kiss and a hug, appears to have sent conservatives into a fit of apoplexy that may only grow in the run-up to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas Feb. 11.
—Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2024
The administration’s apoplexy has brought us to the point of crisis.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 18 Dec. 2023
There is a trick for liberals in reading the Journal’s Opinion section without having to summon the paramedics because of apoplexy.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 4 Sep. 2023
Never felt a single symptom, unless apoplexy is one of them.
—James Lileks, National Review, 17 Mar. 2022
Currently, the top cause of death globally is ischemic heart disease and the second is cerebral apoplexy (stroke).
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 16 Apr. 2021
Giants fans in a state of apoplexy should know two things, one comforting, one not so much.
—Henry Schulman, SFChronicle.com, 11 Dec. 2019
The mass cultural apoplexy in 2013 around the introduction of the cronut by Dominique Answel, a baker from New York, meanwhile, pretty much speaks for itself.
—Tim Martin, 1843, 13 June 2019
Cite this Entry
“Apoplexy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apoplexy. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
apoplexy
noun
ap·o·plexy
ˈap-ə-ˌplek-sē
plural apoplexies
1
dated
: stroke
In apoplexy or "stroke" … an artery in the brain either ruptures and bleeds or is blocked.—Morris Fishbein, The Modern Family Health Guide
Morris Fishbein, The Modern Family Health Guide2
: copious hemorrhage into a cavity or into the substance of an organ
abdominal apoplexy
adrenal apoplexy
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share