paroxysm
/ˈparəksɪz(ə)m
/noun
1A sudden attack or outburst of a particular emotion or activity: a paroxysm of weeping...
- She is charged with an extraordinary animal vitality and expresses a paroxysm of movement and emotion like one possessed.
- But what happens if the anticipated €15 billion bonanza sends the Irish economy into a paroxysm of overspending, soaring inflation and rocketing house prices?
- I still remember my first day there, seeing all the fighters in their black robes and the savage gleam in their eyes as they warily circled each other before exploding in a paroxysm of violence.
Synonyms
spasm, attack, fit, burst, bout, convulsion, seizure, outburst, outbreak, eruption, explosion, flare-up, access;
throes
rare ebullition, boutade
1.1 Medicine A sudden recurrence or attack of a disease: paroxysms of ataxia and shaking...
- Repetitive episodes of coronary artery spasm and paroxysms of hypertension may result in endothelial damage, coronary artery dissection, and acceleration of atherosclerosis.
- Repeated trauma, as in paroxysms of cough, can produce inelastic deformation in the most vulnerable part of the ribs, the middle third.
- Trials are in progress to evaluate pacemakers that detect trends in heart rate and ectopy known to be associated with paroxysms of atrial fibrillation and that initiate single site or multisite pacing in response to these changes.
Derivatives
paroxysmal
/ adjective ...- Despite compliance with his medications, he noticed progressive weakness, fluid retention, frequent attacks of paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, and an inability to perform minor tasks around the house.
- Six of the 11 patients had coarse, bibasilar rales, and two reported orthopnea and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea.
- The most common causes of this condition are benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, acute vestibular neuronitis or labyrinthitis, Meniere's disease, migraine, and anxiety disorders.
Origin
Late Middle English: from French paroxysme, via medieval Latin from Greek paroxusmos, from paroxunein 'exasperate', from para- 'beyond' + oxunein 'sharpen' (from oxus 'sharp').