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paroxysm

[par-uhk-siz-uhm, puh-rok‐] / ˈpær əkˌsɪz əm, pəˈrɒk‐ /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And when the stormy morning after arrives, each peal of thunder sends Julia into a paroxysm of nerves that flings her around like a handkerchief caught in a stiff breeze.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

And yes, in a paroxysm of pettiness, he renamed Mt.

From Salon • Jan. 31, 2025

But unlike this upcoming paroxysm, that eruption was in a remote location.

From National Geographic • Nov. 13, 2023

Sittenfeld sets her action in 2018, decades after that paroxysm of genius has passed.

From Washington Post • Mar. 28, 2023

Occasionally she would go into a paroxysm of cleaning, and she would race around the house for an hour, throwing things into closets.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston




Vocabulary lists containing paroxysm