noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈpæɹəksɪz(ə)m/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈpɛɹəkˌsɪzəm/
General-American:/pəˈɹɑk-/
1
noun
Meaning 1
A period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; a sudden attack of a disease symptom, such as a bout of coughing or a seizure.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: exacervation, fit
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Chiefly followed by of: a sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling; also, the most severe part of an activity or incident; the climax.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: high point, acme, apex, zenith, apogee, apotheosis, ascendance, capstone, climax, coronation, crown, culmination, extreme, fastigium, high note, high tide, high-water mark, midday, Mount Everest, outblossom, paroxysm, perihelion, pinnacle, summa, summit
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
An outburst of a violent argument or disagreement.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, broadly, countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A violent occurrence of a natural phenomenon, such as an earthquake, thunderstorm, or volcanic eruption; specifically (volcanology), the most explosive event during a series of volcanic eruptions.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, countable
Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
Disastrous or sudden change.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, rare, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
a sudden uncontrollable attack
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a paroxysm of giggling
a fit of coughing
convulsions of laughter
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fit, convulsion
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: attack
History
Etymology
From Late Middle English paroxism, paroxisme (“period of worsening of a disease, attack; sudden recurrent fever”), from Middle French paroxisme, paroxysme, and Old French peroxime (“period of worsening of a disease; bout of fever or illness”) (modern French paroxysme), and from their etymon Late Latin paroxismus, paroxysmus (“a fit; onset of a disease; violent impulse or sadness”), from Ancient Greek πᾰροξῠσμός (păroxŭsmós, “exasperation, irritation; severe fit of a disease”), from πᾰροξῡ́νω (păroxū́nō, “to irritate, provoke”) (from παρα- (para-, prefix meaning ‘parallel to but separate from or going beyond, beside’) + ὀξῡ́νω (oxū́nō, “to provoke; to sharpen”) (from ὀξῠ́ς (oxŭ́s, “sharp”), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h2eḱ- (“sharp”))) + -μός (-mós, suffix forming abstract nouns). By surface analysis, para- + oxy- + -ism.
Across languages
Translations
82 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
نَوْبَة
(nawba)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Armenian:
պարոքսիզմ
(parokʻsizm)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Armenian:
նոպա
(nopa)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Middle Armenian:
նոպայ
(nopay)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Bulgarian:
пристъп
(pristǎp)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Bulgarian:
пароксизъм
(paroksizǎm)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Catalan:
paroxisme
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Czech:
nával
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Danish:
paroxysme
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Esperanto:
paroksismo
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Finnish:
kohtaus
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
French:
paroxysme
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Georgian:
პაროქსიზმი
(ṗaroksizmi)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
German:
Paroxysmus
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Greek:
παροξυσμός
(paroxysmós)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Ancient Greek:
παροξυσμός
(paroxusmós)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Hungarian:
roham
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Ido:
paroxismo
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Indonesian:
paroksismal
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Italian:
parossismo
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Italian:
acme
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Italian:
raptus
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Kazakh:
пароксизм
(paroksizm)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Korean:
발작
(baljak)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Latin:
paroxysmus
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Polish:
paroksyzm
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Portuguese:
paroxismo
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Romanian:
paroxism
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Russian:
парокси́зм
(paroksízm)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Russian:
припа́док
(pripádok)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Scots:
thraw
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Serbo-Croatian:
пароксѝзам
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Serbo-Croatian:
paroksìzam
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Sicilian:
parussìsimu
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Spanish:
paroxismo
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Swedish:
paroxysm
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Tagalog:
paroksismo
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Tagalog:
bidbíd
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Tagalog:
bugso
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Udi:
замару
(zamaru)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Udi:
заморой
(zamoroj)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Ukrainian:
пароксизм
(paroksyzm)
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Welsh:
ffit
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Welsh:
pwl
— period (especially one of several recurring periods) during the course of an illness when symptoms worsen; sudden attack of a disease symptom
Bulgarian:
пръстъп
(prǎstǎp)
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Catalan:
paroxisme
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Czech:
nával
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Czech:
záchvat
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Esperanto:
paroksismo
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Finnish:
kohtaus
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Finnish:
purkaus
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
French:
paroxysme
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Georgian:
შეტევა
(šeṭeva)
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
German:
Paroxysmus
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Greek:
παροξυσμός
(paroxysmós)
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Ancient Greek:
παροξυσμός
(paroxusmós)
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Hebrew:
פרוקסיזום
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Hungarian:
kitörés
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Irish:
néal
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Irish:
taom
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Old Irish:
recht
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Italian:
parossismo
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Macedonian:
пароксизам
(paroksizam)
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Polish:
paroksyzm
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Polish:
przystęp
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Portuguese:
paroxismo
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Russian:
парокси́зм
(paroksízm)
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Russian:
при́ступ
(prístup)
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Sanskrit:
वेग
(vega)
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Scots:
thraw
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Serbo-Croatian:
пaроксѝзaм
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Serbo-Croatian:
paroksìzam
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Sicilian:
parussìsimu
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Slovene:
paroksizem
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Spanish:
paroxismo
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Tagalog:
bugso
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Tagalog:
bulalas
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Tagalog:
bulalás
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Welsh:
ffit
— sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling
Finnish:
purkaushuippu
— violent occurrence of a natural phenomenon; most explosive event during a series of volcanic eruptions
Finnish:
riidan puhkeaminen
— outburst of a violent argument or disagreement