convulse
verb /kənˈvʌls/
/kənˈvʌls/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they convulse | /kənˈvʌls/ /kənˈvʌls/ |
| he / she / it convulses | /kənˈvʌlsɪz/ /kənˈvʌlsɪz/ |
| past simple convulsed | /kənˈvʌlst/ /kənˈvʌlst/ |
| past participle convulsed | /kənˈvʌlst/ /kənˈvʌlst/ |
| -ing form convulsing | /kənˈvʌlsɪŋ/ /kənˈvʌlsɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, intransitive] convulse (somebody) (with something) (rather formal) to cause a sudden shaking movement in somebody’s body; to make this movement
- A violent shiver convulsed him.
- His whole body convulsed.
- [transitive] be convulsed with laughter, anger, etc. to be laughing so much, so angry, etc. that you cannot control your movements
- She was convulsed by a bout of sneezing.
Word Originmid 17th cent.: from Latin convuls- ‘pulled violently, wrenched’, from the verb convellere, from con- ‘together’ + vellere ‘to pull’.