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paroxysmal

adjective

as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity paroxysmal mood swings that made being around him very challenging

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for paroxysmal
  1. violent
  2. ferocious
  3. fierce
  4. turbulent
  5. furious
  6. volcanic
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 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
  • 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
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.

Browse Nearby Words

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paroxysmal
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Cite this Entry

“Paroxysmal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysmal. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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