apoplexy

noun ap·o·plexy \ ˈa-pə-ˌplek-sē \

Definition of apoplexy

1 medical

a dated :stroke 5

The medical evidence showed conclusively that death was due to apoplexy.
—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

… this latest attraction has sparked apoplexy among some environmentalists.
—Jayne Clark

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Examples of apoplexy in a Sentence

Her speech caused apoplexy among the audience members.

Recent Examples of apoplexy from the Web

In 1954, the Supreme Court’s school desegregation decision threw Southern segregationists into political apoplexy.

— timothy b. tyson, New York Times, "The Civil Rights Stories We Need to Remember," 19 May 2017
This eccentric, irascible man would have caused occasional — perhaps regular — bouts of apoplexy in homeowners tying their dreams and finances to him.

— cindy decker, chicagotribune.com, "Falling for Frank Lloyd Wright in Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands," 4 May 2017
Woe betide those with short necks, as they were considered to be at special risk for apoplexy (the term used for sudden seizure or stroke).

— moira macdonald, The Seattle Times, "Mind the ha-ha, and other gems from ‘The Annotated Mansfield Park’," 30 Apr. 2017
Kellyanne Conway will have to suffice as the Angie Dickinson token blonde and all-around fun gal, eclipsed in the public eye by Sean Spicer’s virtuoso performances of steampunk apoplexy as White House press secretary.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "Can Melania Trump Ever Be a Great First Lady?," 28 Apr. 2017
The mere, unprovoked mention of the potential of nuclear holocaust was enough to incite total apoplexy on Twitter.

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "Twitter Freaks Out as Donald Trump Casually Describes Nuclear Holocaust," 16 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'apoplexy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of apoplexy

Middle English apoplexie, from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French, from Late Latin apoplexia, from Greek apoplēxia, from apoplēssein to cripple by a stroke, from apo- + plēssein to strike — more at plaint

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First Known Use: 15th century

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