1
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
2
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of convulsive
But for anyone with a taste for operatic violence and fountains of blood as shotgun and assault rifle blasts send bodies flying in slo-mo or dancing like convulsive marionettes, Gareth Evans’ gritty neo-noir will be just the ticket.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
When the train pulls away — and his target serenely waves goodbye through the window — Popeye’s convulsive rage is a quintessential Hackman flourish.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025
In the middle of all this came a convulsive shock, the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
—Adam Goldman, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
The reversal of values, principles, and ideals has been convulsive.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for convulsive
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
When the train pulls away — and his target serenely waves goodbye through the window — Popeye’s convulsive rage is a quintessential Hackman flourish.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025
In the middle of all this came a convulsive shock, the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
—Adam Goldman, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
The reversal of values, principles, and ideals has been convulsive.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for convulsive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for convulsive
Adjective
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Use extra caution near the surf zone as these large waves will be capable of sweeping people into the frigid and turbulent ocean water.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Jan. 2026
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The story of the Platonic representation hypothesis paper began in early 2023, a turbulent time for AI researchers.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Safavi said the blackout coincided with violent confrontations in several regions.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Parallel societies in certain urban areas and rising violent crime statistics linked to some migrant cohorts in countries such as Sweden and Germany led to the dramatic rise of populist and patriotic parties across the continent, from France to Italy to the Netherlands.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Protecting Rodgers against the Texans’ ferocious pass rush represents a tall task, though.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
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Aside from being a general nuisance with their ferocious snores, pungent odors and growls, bears can do serious damage to a home.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Some nearby residents, including Sue Weston — the owner of Weston Gardens in Bloom, a historic garden located on Anglin Drive — have expressed fierce opposition to the data center.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Jan. 2026
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Last year, the governor tried to increase the number of in-office days to four only to face fierce resistance from his employees and their labor representatives.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Anaheim had a furious rally in the third, outshooting Washington 17-5.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
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For at that very moment, the barn door swung open, and snow swept up in a furious fashion.—
Lauren Ashley Bishop,
Variety,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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For five years, the group from Mexico's National Autonomous University has climbed the volcano with pounds of equipment, risked data loss due to bad weather or a volcanic explosion and used artificial intelligence to analyze the seismic data.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Jan. 2026
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Such swarms are commonly associated with volcanic activity but can occur elsewhere.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Scenario two is that Harbaugh is leveraging the Giants’ rabid interest but ultimately could take a different job, devastating this desperate fan base.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Henry’s novels — and this book in particular — have a rabid fanbase, which meant there were plenty of opinions online about who should play the two leads Alex and Poppy.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Convulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/convulsive. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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