paroxysm

noun

ˈper-ək-ˌsi-zəm How to pronounce paroxysm (audio)
Definition of paroxysmnext
1
as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling a paroxysm of laughter greeted the pratfall

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order) Darwin's introduction of the theory of evolution created paroxysms in both religion and science that are still being felt today

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 paroxysm Also, stars in this frenzied state aren’t terribly stable; the fusion rate can be tempestuous, and the star undergoes incredibly violent paroxysms. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 20 Mar. 2026 The lack of oxygen sends your body into frenzied paroxysms of cringe. — Hallie Cantor, New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2026 Less than a paroxysm of triumph, Ferran Torres’ winning goal pierced the tension and sent a small pocket of Spain superfans behind the goal into shrieks of relief. — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019 Finally, the paroxysms of violence across the arc of instability from North Africa to South Asia have led some observers to conclude that disorder in the Middle East could threaten the entire global order. — Jake Sullivan, Foreign Affairs, 5 Mar. 2018 See All Example Sentences for paroxysm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paroxysm
  1. explosion
  2. upheaval
  3. outburst
  4. unrest
  5. burst
  6. revolution
  7. eruption
  8. convulsion
Noun
  • That has led to an explosion in interest in the annual Pacific leaders meeting, which has grown from a casual affair to a summit with 2,000 attendees.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • More messages arrived over Discord, X, WhatsApp, and even from a colleague who had been asked by a friend to see whether Fabian would correct his story to say that the explosion had been caused by interceptor fragments.
    — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of explosion
Noun
  • The landscape stayed quiet for a while, until a series of upheavals in the American League West.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Artificial intelligence has unleashed the greatest upheaval within the industry since Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in 2007.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of upheaval
Noun
  • There was a sense that only significant deals could stave off the double threat of the Austrian’s outbursts over transfers destabilising the team midway through the campaign and Palace tumbling into a relegation battle.
    — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • According to Marco Tedesco, a geophysicist at Columbia University, the task of developing early warning systems for landslides, glacier collapse events and glacial outburst floods requires sustained effort.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of outburst
Noun
  • Tibet is a Chinese autonomous region that has gone through cycles of protest, unrest and government repression since China asserted control over the region in 1951.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • What followed was at least one night of unrest in Minneapolis.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of unrest
Noun
  • These are short, all-out bursts of exercise performed at an intensity higher than your maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂ max).
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Inflation eased in June and July, but a burst of on-again, off-again fighting in recent weeks caused crude prices to rise again.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of burst
Noun
  • During its socialist revolution, the government kicked out many foreign oil companies.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Two years after the 2011 Egyptian revolution, then 17-year-old Abdelrahman ElGendy and his father were arrested for recording a protest on the streets of Cairo.
    — Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of revolution
Noun
  • Roads, vehicles and buildings in several villages in Karo affected by the eruption were covered in gray ash.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Seeing the Braves compete in this series with the Dodgers, from the walk-off win to the ace performances to the timely snags to Truist Park’s eruptions, hearkened back memories of October 2021.
    — Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of eruption
Noun
  • But in some cases, West Nile can reach the brain and cause extreme headaches, meningitis, tremors, convulsions and paralysis.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The gas was highly toxic to the respiratory system, causing asphyxiation, convulsions, and, in severe cases, death.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of convulsion

Browse Nearby Words

paroling
paroxysm
paroxysmal
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Cite this Entry

“Paroxysm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysm. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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