convulsion

/kənˈvʌlʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /kənˈvʌlʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /kən-ˈvəl-shən/ (ame, mw)

convulsion — noun

  • convulsionsingular
  • convulsionsplural

1. a sudden spell of violent body shaking in which illness, fever, or a drug makes

1.名詞B2
釋義

a sudden spell of violent body shaking in which illness, fever, or a drug makes a person's muscles move without control

例句

The room fell silent when Karim had a convulsion during the school assembly.

common frame: have a convulsion

After the overdose, Mizuki had a convulsion on the kitchen floor for nearly a minute.

medical emergency context

同義詞
  • seizure

    the broader medical term; it includes brain-related episodes that may involve loss of consciousness

  • spasm

    usually shorter and more local, often affecting one muscle or body part

  • fit

    more informal, especially in British English

反義詞
  • stillness

    a state in which the body is not shaking or moving suddenly

文法句型

have a convulsion

suffer a convulsion

go into convulsions

用法筆記

This sense is used for a physical episode of violent muscle movement, often in a medical setting. It is close to seizure, but convulsion focuses more on the visible shaking than on the wider brain event.

常見錯誤

❌The child got convulsion from the fever.
✅The child had a convulsion because of the fever.
💡English normally uses 'have a convulsion', not 'get convulsion'.

2. a period of severe social, political, or organizational upset, or a sudden chang

2.名詞C1
釋義

a period of severe social, political, or organizational upset, or a sudden change that shakes the normal order of things

例句

The king's death threw the whole court into convulsions within a single night.

pattern: throw [group] into convulsions

Economic convulsions followed the bank collapse, and thousands lost their jobs.

typical figurative use in public events

同義詞
  • upheaval

    the closest everyday synonym; it stresses major disruptive change in a system or society

  • turmoil

    broader and less dramatic; it can describe emotional confusion as well as public disorder

  • unrest

    focuses more on public dissatisfaction and protest than on the change itself

反義詞
  • stability

    a condition in which a system continues without sudden disorder

  • order

    a state in which things remain controlled and organized

文法句型

throw [country/organization] into convulsions

be in convulsions

[adjective] convulsions

用法筆記

This formal figurative sense is usually used for public or institutional disturbance rather than a private emotional problem. It often appears in historical, political, or journalistic writing about major change.