paroxysm

plural paroxysms · alternative paroxism

1. countablemedicineA 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.

   Againe; I feare a paroxiſme.

   1605 (first performance), Ben[jamin] Jonson, Ben: Ionson His Volpone or The Foxe, [London]: […] [George Eld] for Thomas Thorppe, published 1607, →OCLC, Act III, scene v, signature G3, recto

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   For, Sir, though Ireland is always combustible, Ireland is not always on fire. We must distinguish between the chronic complaints which are to be attributed to remote causes, and the acute attack which is brought on by recent imprudence. For though there is always a predisposition to disease in that unhappy society, the violent paroxysms come only at intervals.

   1844 February 19 (date delivered), [Thomas Babington] Macaulay, “[Speeches.] A Speech Delivered in the House of Commons on the 19th of February 1844.”, in T[homas] F[lower] E[llis], editor, The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, new edition, London: Longman, Green, Reader, & Dyer, published 1871, →OCLC, page 647

   His malady proved to be a softening of the spinal marrow: it was incurable; it made rapid progress. […] [A]ll this, and suffering, besides this, at short intervals, paroxysms of nervous agony.

   1865, Matthew Arnold, “Heinrich Heine”, in Essays in Criticism, London: Macmillan and Co. […], →OCLC, page 165

   The slightest effort made the patient cough. He would stand leaning on a stick and holding a hand to his side, and when the paroxysm had passed it left him shaking.

   1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XLV, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, pages 374–375

   Synonyms: exacervation, fit

2. broadlycountableChiefly followed by of: a sudden outburst of violent activity or feeling; also, the most severe part of an activity or incident; the climax.

   Unable to turn his back on the fanged danger and go on, the bull would be driven into paroxysms of rage.

   1903 July, Jack London, “The Sounding of the Call”, in The Call of the Wild, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC, page 212

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   [H]ere vve may take occaſion, to mention the miſerable condition of the Iſraelites in Egypt, during vvhich time, vvoefull their ſlavery, if vve conſider, the […] Long continuance thereof, tvvo hundred and odde years in the latitude, and fourſcore (from the birth of Moſes) in the Paroxyſme of their bondage.

   1650, Thomas Fuller, “The Description of Egypt”, in A Pisgah-sight of Palestine and the Confines thereof, with the History of the Old and New Testament Acted thereon, London: […] J. F. for John Williams […], →OCLC, book II, paragraph 19, page 84

   [I]n his Paroxyſms, as he vvalked the Streets, he vvould have his Pockets loaden vvith Stones, to pelt at the Signs.

   1704, [Jonathan Swift], “Section XI. A Tale of a Tub.”, in A Tale of a Tub. […], London: […] John Nutt, […], →OCLC, pages 203–204

   If prevented by force, the screams she sometimes uttered in her paroxysms of rage were fearful, and must inevitably be heard.

   1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter IV, in Romance and Reality. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 70

   Her doubts and terrors reached their paroxysm; and the poor girl, who for many hours had been plunged into stupor, raved and ran hither and thither in hysteric insanity—a piteous sight.

   1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, “In Which Jos Sedley Takes Flight, and the War Is Brought to a Close”, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 283

   These chants are taken up, more or less, by the audience; sometimes they flag and die away for want of support, sometimes they are continued till they reach a paroxysm, and then abruptly stop.

   1875, Matthew Arnold, “A Persian Passion Play”, in Essays in Criticism […], 3rd edition, London; Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan and Co. […], →OCLC, page 282

   Synonyms: high point, acme, apex, zenith, apogee, apotheosis, ascendance, capstone

3. archaicbroadlycountableAn outburst of a violent argument or disagreement.

   [A]n election was at hand, which, it was expected, would throw the whole country into a paroxysm.

   1837, Washington Irving, “The Creole Village. A Sketch from a Steamboat.”, in Wolfert’s Roost and Other Papers, […], New York, N.Y.: G[eorge] P[almer] Putnam & Co., […], published 1855, →OCLC, page 48

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   But the greateſt contention happening here, vvas that Paroxyſme betvvixt Paul and Barnabas, the one as earneſtly refuſing, as the other deſiring the company of John Mark to goe along vvith them.

   1650, Thomas Fuller, “[The Generall Description of Judea] The Description of Mount Libanus and the Adjacent Countreys”, in A Pisgah-sight of Palestine and the Confines thereof, with the History of the Old and New Testament Acted thereon, London: […] J. F. for John Williams […], →OCLC, book I, paragraph 29, page 13

   By the vvay, it muſt not be forgotten, that in the very midſt of the Paroxiſme betvvixt [Richard] Hooker and [Walter] Travers, the latter ſtil bare (and none can challenge the other to the contrary) a reverend eſteem of his adverſary.

   1655, Thomas Fuller, “Section VII. To Mr. Hamond Ward, and Mr. Richard Fuller of London Merchants.”, in The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, book IX, page 217

   The passions which inflame us, the sophisms which delude us, will not last for ever. The paroxysms of faction have their appointed season.

   1840 January 29 (date delivered), [Thomas Babington] Macaulay, “[Speeches.] A Speech Delivered in the House of Commons on the 29th of January 1840.”, in T[homas] F[lower] E[llis], editor, The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, new edition, London: Longman, Green, Reader, & Dyer, published 1871, →OCLC, page 596

4. broadlycountablegeographyA 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.

   [T]he Storm had ſeven Paroxyſms or Exacerbations, vvhich the Seamen call Frights of VVeather, […]

   a. 1692 (date written), Robert Boyle, “Title XV. Of the Motion of the Air, and of Winds.”, in The General History of the Air, […], London: […] Awnsham and John Churchill, […], published 1692, →OCLC, page 85

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   [W]ith paroxiſms of ſtrange diſmay / Th' amazed Heav'ns ſtood ſtill, Earth's baſis ſhook, / The troubled Ocean roard, the ſtartled Air / In hollovv grones profoundly breath'd its fear.

   1702, Joseph Beaumont, “Canto VI. The Humiliation. Stanza 192.”, in Charles Beaumont, editor, Psyche, or Love’s Mystery, […], 2nd edition, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] University-Press, for Tho[mas] Bennet, […], →OCLC, page 86, column 1

5. broadlyrareuncountableDisastrous or sudden change.

   It is manifest that the species themselves are but transmutations of one or a few primordial types, and that they have been created not by paroxysm, but by evolution.

   1893, Alfred Williams Momerie, “The Philosophic and Moral Evidence for the Existence of God”, in John Henry Barrows, editor, The World’s Parliament of Religions: An Illustrated and Popular Story of the World’s First Parliament of Religions, Held in Chicago in Connection with the Columbian Exposition of 1893, volume I, Chicago, Ill.: The Parliament Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 271

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   Catastrophists argued that most geological change occurred in rare episodes of truly global paroxysm, marked by the "usual suspects" of volcanism, mountain building, earthquakes, and flooding.

   1999 April, Stephen Jay Gould, “[Charles] Lyell’s Pillars of Wisdom”, in Bruce Stutz, editor, Natural History, volume 108, number 3, New York, N.Y.: American Museum of Natural History, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 33, column 3