spasm

noun

ˈspa-zəm 

1

: an involuntary and abnormal muscular contraction

2

: a sudden violent and temporary effort, emotion, or sensation

a spasm of creativity

spasms of pain

spasm intransitive verb

Synonyms

• charley horse
• cramp
• crick
• kink

Examples of spasm in a Sentence

a disease that causes muscle spasms

He was racked with coughing spasms.

She was suffering spasms of guilt.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some people even report that Delta-8 can relieve chronic pain, inflammation, and muscle spasms. —Amplified Content Studio, The Mercury News, 26 Nov. 2024

Jakes then stopped speaking and appeared to spasm while sitting in his chair and staring into the distance. —Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 25 Nov. 2024

During a subsequent stint in prison, in 2018, Mohammadi suffered weeks of intense illness and muscle spasms before ultimately being transferred to a hospital for treatment, requests for which her family says were previously refused. —Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024

The rare neurological disorder causes muscle stiffness and spasms, Dion explained on Today in June. —Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English spasme, from Anglo-French espasme, from Latin spasmus, from Greek spasmos, from span to draw, pull

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

spasm

noun

ˈspaz-əm 

1

: a sudden uncontrolled contracting of muscles

back spasms

2

: a sudden violent and temporary effort, emotion, or outburst

a spasm of creativity

spasm verb

Medical Definition

spasm

noun

ˈspaz-əm 

1

: an involuntary and abnormal contraction of muscle or muscle fibers or of a hollow organ (as an artery, the colon, or the esophagus) that consists largely of involuntary muscle fibers

2

: the state or condition of a muscle or organ affected with spasms

the renal artery went into spasm