paroxysms

noun

Definition of paroxysmsnext
plural of paroxysm
1
as in bursts
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling a paroxysm of laughter greeted the pratfall

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in upheavals
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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for paroxysms
  1. outbursts
  2. convulsions
  3. explosions
  4. revolutions
  5. eruptions
  6. spasms
  7. gusts
Noun
  • That rage has led to plenty of emotional outbursts.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024
  • Discovered in 1927, this comet is notable for its continuous outbursts and orbits that remain distant from Earth, with no close approaches expected.
    Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 1 Dec. 2024
Definition of outbursts
Noun
  • Serious health complications are possible, especially in children younger than 5, such as pneumonia — the most common cause of death from measles in young children — and swelling of the brain, which can trigger convulsions and lead to deafness or intellectual disability.
    Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
  • His epileptic convulsions happen less often and for shorter intervals — seconds at a time, instead of minutes.
    Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American-Statesman, 24 Nov. 2024
Definition of convulsions
Noun
  • Then early Tuesday morning, a series of explosions turned the base’s last functional helicopters — a pair of Soviet-era Mi-8s — into blazing husks.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
  • The unverified two-minute seven second compilation, released on Saturday, showed a number of Ukrainian sea drones making their way toward gas facilities in the Black Sea, followed by large explosions which left at least one platform on fire.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024
Definition of explosions
Noun
  • The book begins by contextualizing AR within the broader history of technological revolutions, from the dawn of the personal computer to the mobile era, and now to spatial computing.
    Charlie Fink, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
  • Bitcoin is a story of how revolutions are won.
    Lawrence Wintermeyer, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
Definition of revolutions
Noun
  • Under chemical analysis, scientists were able to reconstruct past environmental changes like ocean temperature shifts and the eruptions of underwater seamounts, which left their marks on the ancient sponge.
    Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Dec. 2024
  • On Earth, volcanic eruptions are largely composed of steam due to our planet’s water-rich interior.
    Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of eruptions
Noun
  • Dion received the diagnosis in 2022 and later had to cancel her world tour due to muscle spasms and rigidity.
    Fred Topel, Deadline, 8 Dec. 2024
  • Freshman guard Trent Perry was limited to two minutes the entire game after being limited in practice the last few days because of back spasms.
    Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
Definition of spasms
Noun
  • Four to nine inches with possible wind gusts of 35 miles per hour could produce drifting snow, the NWS warns.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
  • By Tuesday afternoon, the wildfire had burned more than 2,800 acres, and officials said that gusts as strong as 60 miles per hour had challenged the more than 700 firefighters responding to the scene.
    Corina Knoll, New York Times, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of gusts
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near paroxysms

paroxysmal

paroxysms

parricide

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Cite this Entry

“Paroxysms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysms. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on paroxysms

Nglish: Translation of paroxysms for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of paroxysms for Arabic Speakers

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