to cause (a person) to be shaken violently by spasms, e.g. of rage, laughter, etc
to cause upheaval in (a community, etc)
He threatened to raise a scandal that would convulse the nation — Conan Doyle
to be convulsed
convulsive adj
convulsively adv
[Latin convulsus, past part. of convellere to pluck up, convulse, from con- + vellere to pull]