convulse

/kənˈvʌls/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈvʌls/ (ame, ipa) · /kən-ˈvəls/ (ame, mw)

convulse — verb

  • convulsepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • convulseshe / she / it
  • convulsedpast simple
  • convulsing-ing form

1. to shake violently and uncontrollably, usually because of a medical problem such

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to shake violently and uncontrollably, usually because of a medical problem such as a high fever, a disease, or a drug reaction that affects the nerves or muscles

例句

The child's body convulsed on the hospital bed as the fever rose above 40 degrees.

convulse on [surface]; cause: fever

A rare side effect of the medication caused Deepa's legs to convulse for several minutes.

cause + object + to convulse

同義詞
  • shake

    more general, less violent; can be from cold, fear, or movement

  • shudder

    a single, brief, involuntary shake, usually from fear or cold

  • spasm

    a sudden, brief muscle contraction; can be used as a verb only in medical contexts

  • writhe

    twisting and turning, usually because of pain, not necessarily from muscle contractions

反義詞
  • relax

    opposite of tense and contracting

  • still

    to become motionless and calm

文法句型

convulse + adverb

convulse + with/from [cause]

convulse + object

be convulsed by/with

用法筆記

Commonly used in medical descriptions. Can be transitive ('the poison convulsed his muscles'), intransitive ('her legs convulsed'), or passive ('he was convulsed by the shock'). The noun 'convulsion' is more frequent in everyday speech (e.g. 'the baby had a convulsion').

常見錯誤

❌The patient convulsed the doctor
✅The patient convulsed on the bed.
💡'convulse' does not mean 'to cause someone to shake' when used transitively; the object is a body part, not a person.

2. to shake suddenly and repeatedly because you are feeling a very strong emotion s

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to shake suddenly and repeatedly because you are feeling a very strong emotion such as laughter, anger, grief, or fear that you cannot control

例句

The audience convulsed with laughter at the comedian's joke about airline food.

convulsed with laughter + at [trigger]

Hassan's shoulders convulsed with silent sobs as he read the letter from his grandmother.

body part + convulse with + emotion

同義詞
  • shake

    general term; less intense than convulse

  • howl with laughter

    specifically for laughter; suggests loud vocal reaction

  • dissolve into

    suggests losing control over emotions ('dissolved into tears/laughter')

文法句型

convulse with + [laughter/anger/sobs/grief]

用法筆記

Almost always used with 'with' followed by an emotion noun. The subject can be a person ('he convulsed with laughter'), a body part ('her face convulsed with grief'), or a group ('the room convulsed with laughter'). Never used transitively in this sense — you cannot say 'the joke convulsed him' (you must say 'he convulsed with laughter at the joke').

常見錯誤

❌The joke convulsed everyone.
✅Everyone convulsed with laughter at the joke.
💡This sense is always intransitive and requires 'with + emotion'.