convulse

verb con·vulse \ kən-ˈvəls \

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

Definition of convulse

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

See convulse defined for English-language learners

See convulse defined for kids

Examples of convulse in a Sentence

The patient reacted to the medication and began convulsing.
The country was convulsed by war.

Recent Examples of convulse from the Web

Within minutes, more than fourteen hundred civilians, including hundreds of children, began convulsing, choking, and foaming at the mouth, then died, of suffocation.

— junot díaz, The New Yorker, "Trump’s Erratic Threats to Bashar al-Assad," 15 Apr. 2018
The audience is naturally convulsed in hilarity that’s interrupted only by paroxysms of sympathy for a protagonist who doesn’t understand why life is withholding from him the happy ending everyone else in his circle seems to be enjoying.

— charles mcnulty, latimes.com, "Say 'I do' to 'Significant Other,' the rare romantic comedy with depth to match the laughs," 13 Apr. 2018
Opponents contend the bill would inject greater risk into the financial system, possibly increasing the likelihood of a repeat of the economic crisis that convulsed the nation a decade ago and forced a taxpayer bailout of Wall Street.

— erica werner, idahostatesman, "House-Senate standoff puts Mike Crapo’s big banking bill in peril | Idaho Statesman," 11 Apr. 2018
Opponents contend the bill would inject greater risk into the financial system, possibly increasing the likelihood of a repeat of the economic crisis that convulsed the nation a decade ago and forced a taxpayer bailout of Wall Street.

— erica werner, chicagotribune.com, "House-Senate standoff imperils effort to roll back post-financial crisis banking rules," 10 Apr. 2018
Images of women and children gasping and convulsing spread around the globe quickly.

— doug criss, CNN, "5 things for April 9: Syria, Alaska 'bathroom bill,' Canada bus crash," 9 Apr. 2018
Much has changed since the spring of 1968, when Kansas City was convulsed by rioting in the wake of Martin Luther King's murder.

— bill turque, kansascity, "How the untold story of Sly James' youth shapes his hopes for healing KC's racial divide | The Kansas City Star," 23 Mar. 2018
The day after the Retrievers and their glorious Twitter account convulsed the college hoops world with a 20-point win over No. 1 Virginia that continues to strain credulity, the sport’s royal caste restored a semblance of order.

— chris johnson, SI.com, "Michigan Brings the Fireworks and Several Heavyweights Impress En Route to Sweet 16," 18 Mar. 2018
When the beat drops, everyone begins dancing wildly, as though trying to convulse out of their clothes.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "How 88rising Is Making a Place for Asians in Hip-Hop," 14 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of convulse

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1614

See Words from the same year

convulse Synonyms

Synonyms

agitate, jerk, jiggle, joggle, jolt, jounce, quake, quiver, shake, shudder, vibrate, wobble (also wabble);

Related Words

rock, sway, swing;

chatter, quaver, shiver, thrill, tremble;

twitch;

dodder, waver;

flicker, fluctuate, flutter, oscillate, undulate, wave;

beat, palpitate, pit-a-pat, pitter-patter, pulsate, pulse, throb;

Synonym Discussion of 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

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

CONVULSE Defined for English Language Learners

convulse

verb

Definition of convulse for English Language Learners

medical : to have an experience in which the muscles in your body shake in a sudden violent way that you are not able to control : to experience convulsions
: to affect (someone or something) suddenly and violently