convulsion
3
7.5
- noun
- /kənˈvəlʃən/
- Literature
:
convulsión
- During the convulsions within the Soviet Union in 1990 and 1991, Finnish-Russian relations remained unvexed.
- social convulsion
And certainly the convulsions in the country were scary as well.
- And certainly the convulsions in the country were scary as well.
Examples
-
Latin American economies have been undergoing convulsions since the 1980s as they move toward neoliberalism.
Academic text (2000) -
From Beijing's point of view, China's recent rise marks the end of a century of painful internal convulsions, civil wars, and foreign humiliations.
Academic text (2005) -
And certainly the convulsions in the country were scary as well.
-
We had no inkling of neighborhoods in convulsion.
Fiction book (1990) -
You wanted convulsions - now you've got them.
-
But we find all these social convulsions troubling, distressing even.
Blog text (14) -
Iceland's convulsions are of more than parochial interest.
Academic text (2002) -
The whole world was undergoing a political convulsion, like the p125 one that had reshaped all the maps in the sixteenth century.
Fiction book (1991) -
The convulsions of the Depression, too, were past, and soon John Kennedy could cockily assert: "Ich bin ein Berliner!"
Academic text (2012) -
The country experienced profound convulsions after the sudden change in government.
Synonyms
138
4.8
A time of great confusion and disorder
57
3.5
A short, strong period of activity or feeling
51
6.9
A sudden big change that causes confusion and problems
19
9.2
A sudden violent event that causes great destruction or change
18
4.6
A sudden major change that shocks and upsets a group or system
3
9.9
A sudden strong burst of feeling, for example coughing or laughter
3
9.9
A sudden end to something that is happening
A sudden violent crowd event that causes confusion and danger
A sudden strong movement or increase
A sudden large wave of comments from many people that follows an event
How Disruptive
- Literature
3
7.5
810
4.1
51
6.9
126
3.4
- Specialized
80
4.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Convulsion comes from Latin parts con- ('together') and vellere ('to pull'), giving the image of a whole group being pulled or shaken at once. So a convulsion can mean a sudden, violent upheaval in politics or society.