paroxysm

par·ox·ysm | \ ˈper-ək-ˌsi-zəm

, ˈpa-rək- also pə-ˈräk-

Definition of paroxysm

1 : a fit, attack, or sudden increase or recurrence of symptoms (as of a disease) : convulsion a paroxysm of coughing convulsed … in the paroxysms of an epileptic seizure— Thomas Hardy

2 : a sudden violent emotion or action : outburst a paroxysm of rage a paroxysm of laughter

Other Words from paroxysm Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about paroxysm

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Did You Know?

Paroxysm didn't just burst onto the scene recently; its roots go back to ancient Greek. The word ultimately derives from the Greek paroxynein, which means "to stimulate." Oxynein, a parent of paroxynein, means "to provoke" or "to sharpen" and comes from oxys, a Greek word for "sharp." (That root also underlies the word oxygen.) In its earliest known English uses in the 15th century, paroxysm denoted agitation or intensification of a disease or its symptoms. (A still-used example of that sense is "a paroxysm of coughing.") Additionally, paroxysm soon took on a broader sense referring to an outburst, especially a dramatic physical or emotional one.

Examples of paroxysm in a Sentence

He went into paroxysms of laughter. a paroxysm of laughter greeted the pratfall

Recent Examples on the Web Immune System Gone Wrong When the paroxysms finally stopped, the man felt exhausted — as if all his energy had left with the contents of his digestive system. — Lisa Sanders, New York Times, "His Immune System Went Out of Whack. The Usual Treatment Didn’t Work. Why?," 18 Mar. 2020 That plan to become a public company is in limbo as Airbnb’s revenue vanishes and the stock market endures stomach-churning paroxysms. — Carolyn Said, SFChronicle.com, "Airbnb, hosts struggle as travel plunges," 28 Mar. 2020 As the spread of the pandemic accelerates by the day, even libertarians have begrudgingly accepted that heavy-handed government intervention will be necessary, and deficit hawks’ ongoing paroxysms over federal spending have all but evaporated. — J.c. Pan, The New Republic, "Our Never-Ending Recession," 20 Mar. 2020 For the left, this is just the latest paroxysm of a dysfunctional and doomed capitalism. — The Economist, "We all want to change the world Economics, demography and social media only partly explain the protests roiling so many countries today," 14 Nov. 2019 Yes, my son falls into paroxysms of despair over the feel of his socks. — Nicole Graev Lipson, Washington Post, "How recognizing my child’s ‘tragic flaw’ made me a better parent," 28 Feb. 2020 Arthur, who has nothing to smile (let alone chuckle) about, suffers from a physical condition in which he is frequently racked by noisy, uncontrollable paroxysms of laughter, an affliction that feels almost cosmic in its cruelty. — Los Angeles Times, "Review: Joaquin Phoenix puts on quite a show in ‘Joker.’ And the portrait of madness is both bleak and glib," 1 Oct. 2019 Michigan Saturday, noon ET, Fox Warning: the following statement could cause paroxysms of indignation among college football fans. — Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY, "Five games in Week 14 that will impact the College Football Playoff race," 29 Nov. 2019 Some of its effects include rattling earthquakes, volcanic paroxysms, and submarine landslides, resulting in mega-tsunamis like the 2004 nightmare in Indonesia, which originated in the Java Trench, and the 2011 horror show in Japan. — Susan Casey, Outside Online, "One Man's Wild Quest to Reach the Bottom of Every Ocean," 22 Oct. 2019

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