CONVULSIVE Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'convulsive' contrast with its synonyms?

The words fitful and spasmodic are common synonyms of convulsive . While all three words mean "lacking steadiness or regularity in movement," convulsive suggests the breaking of regularity or quiet by uncontrolled movement. // convulsive shocks

Q: Where would 'fitful' be a reasonable alternative to 'convulsive'?

Although the words fitful and convulsive have much in common, fitful implies intermittence, a succession of starts and stops or risings and fallings. // fitful sleep

Q: How do 'spasmodic' and 'fitful' relate to one another, in the sense of 'convulsive'?

Spasmodic adds to fitful the implication of rapid or violent activity alternating with inactivity. // spasmodic growth

convulsive

adjective

kən-ˈvəl-siv

Definition of convulsive

as in turbulent

marked by sudden or violent disturbance the assassination of Martin Luther King was one of the most convulsive events of the 1960s

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in violent

marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity after a day of convulsive trading, the stock market was down 300 points

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective convulsive contrast with its synonyms?

The words fitful and spasmodic are common synonyms of convulsive. While all three words mean "lacking steadiness or regularity in movement," convulsive suggests the breaking of regularity or quiet by uncontrolled movement.

convulsive shocks

Where would fitful be a reasonable alternative to convulsive?

Although the words fitful and convulsive have much in common, fitful implies intermittence, a succession of starts and stops or risings and fallings.

fitful sleep

How do spasmodic and fitful relate to one another, in the sense of convulsive?

Spasmodic adds to fitful the implication of rapid or violent activity alternating with inactivity.

spasmodic growth

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of convulsive The question of Armenian identity and the very fate of the Armenian people seem to be at stake in this kinetic, formally convulsive work. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026 There’s a physically primal element that feels new to Hathaway here, and not just in the film’s early convulsive silent dance sequence. — Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026 At a meeting there believers are purged of their sins after confessing and then shouting, howling, stomping, dancing, in a convulsive shedding of guilt. — Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 21 Jan. 2026 During the past six months, Bondi has presided over the most convulsive transition of power in the Justice Department since the Watergate era, and perhaps in the hundred-and-fifty-five-year history of the department. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for convulsive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for convulsive

Adjective

The oversight hearing underscored Patel’s turbulent tenure, from shouting matches with lawmakers and blended leisure travel to allegations of excessive drinking that spurred calls for his removal and a massive defamation suit.

— Eric Tucker, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
The two lawsuits come after a turbulent week for Hoskins, a Republican who became a key player in a dizzying series of legal battles and court decisions over the state’s congressional map.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of turbulent

Adjective

Mayweather’s charges stemmed from a violent encounter between her and Lapattra Jacobs, the mother of one of YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s children.

— Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 16 Sep. 2026
The recent deaths have highlighted high rates of femicide and violent crime in the country and sparked an outcry over the safety of women.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of violent

Adjective

The relationship between Xi and Zhang went back decades, extending not just to their childhoods but all the way back to their fathers, who were comrades in arms in China’s ferocious civil war.

— Jonathan A. Czin, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026
The ferocious drummer Martin Chambers, with his knifey sideburns, completed the quartet.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of ferocious

Adjective

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway owns BNSF, and the railroad is a fierce critic of Vena’s takeover bid for Norfolk Southern.

— John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Aaron Donald, one of the fiercest pass rushers in NFL history, is coming out of retirement to rejoin the Rams in hopes of winning another Super Bowl title.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of fierce

Adjective

The Lindsay Clancy trial has captivated the nation, spurring furious online debate on the state of maternal healthcare and whether she should be held criminally responsible for killing her three children.

— Yasmin Vossoughian, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
Simply put, the SEC is furious that LSU has challenged the conference’s attempts to enforce its eligibility rules for athletes returning from professional sports.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of furious

Adjective

Reuters — Eight Indonesian airports, including two serving Jakarta, remained closed early on Monday morning because of volcanic ash from eruptions at Mount Anak ‌Krakatau, the transport minister said.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
Anak Krakatau is a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between Indonesia's main islands of Java and Sumatra.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of volcanic

Adjective

Yosemite records few rabid bats, with the last case in 2025, but other national parks have issued rabies alerts within days or weeks, raising fresh questions about Yosemite’s public-health communication.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
This is the first rabid bat reported in the county since 2024, when two bats tested positive for rabies.

— Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of rabid

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“Convulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/convulsive. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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