- an uncontrollable outburst: a paroxysm of giggling
- a sudden attack or recurrence of a disease
- any fit or convulsion
ˌparoxˈysmal, ˌparoxˈysmic adj
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2023
par•ox•ysm /ˈpærəkˌsɪzəm/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023- any sudden, violent, or uncontrolled outburst, as of action or emotion:paroxysms of laughter.
- Pathologya severe attack, or a sudden increase in the intensity, of a disease.
par•ox•ysm
(par′ək siz′əm),USA pronunciation n.
par′ox•ys′mal, par′ox•ys′mic, adj.
par′ox•ys′mal•ly, adv.
- any sudden, violent outburst;
a fit of violent action or emotion:paroxysms of rage. - Pathologya severe attack or a sudden increase in intensity of a disease, usually recurring periodically.
- Greek paroxysmós irritation, derivative of paroxýnein to irritate. See par-, oxy-1, -ism
- earlier paroxismos 1570–80
par′ox•ys′mal•ly, adv.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
paroxysm /ˈpærəkˌsɪzəm/ n
ˌparoxˈysmal, ˌparoxˈysmic adj
ˌparoxˈysmal, ˌparoxˈysmic adj
'paroxysm' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):