spastic

1 of 2

adjective

spas·​tic ˈspa-stik How to pronounce spastic (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, characterized by, or affected with or as if with spasm
a spastic patient
b
: characterized by hypertonic muscles
spastic cerebral palsy
2
: spasmodic sense 2
a spastic influx of data
spastically adverb

spastic

2 of 2

noun

: an individual suffering from spastic paralysis

Examples of spastic in a Sentence

Adjective even after the formal surrender, spastic violence erupted in scattered quarters of the city
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Susannah Rosen, now 10 years old, has rare mutations in a gene called KIF1A, which is associated with intellectual disability, spastic limbs, and atrophy of nerve cells in the brain and eye. Brittany Trang, STAT, 9 Aug. 2024 They are draped in raggedy blanketing, lurching on in various quasi-Zombie spastic movements. Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 23 July 2024 Gavin has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and is non-mobile and non-verbal and the Anderson home needs major — and very expensive — renovations to make the house more comfortable for him, his family said. Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2024 Like, ‘My sporadic, spastic, impulsive, potentially treacherous ideas? Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for spastic 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spastic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Latin spasticus, from Greek spastikos drawing in, from span

First Known Use

Adjective

1753, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spastic was in 1753

Dictionary Entries Near spastic

Cite this Entry

“Spastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spastic. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024.

Kids Definition

spastic

adjective
spas·​tic
ˈspas-tik
: of, relating to, characterized by, or affected with or as if with spasms
spastic colon

Medical Definition

spastic

1 of 2 adjective
spas·​tic ˈspas-tik How to pronounce spastic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or characterized by spasm
2
: affected with or marked by spasticity or spastic paralysis
a spastic patient
spastic hemiplegia
spastically adverb

spastic

2 of 2 noun
: an individual affected by spastic paralysis

More from Merriam-Webster on spastic

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