paroxysmal

adjective

as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity paroxysmal mood swings that made being around him very challenging

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for paroxysmal
  1. violent
  2. ferocious
  3. fierce
  4. turbulent
  5. furious
  6. volcanic
Adjective
  • Their arrival comes during a violent week in Haiti; at least 47 people were killed and more than 50 others kidnapped, according to Haitian officials.
    — Nathan Lee, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Karilyn Orr, an internal safety and prevention specialist in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, and Nick Jakubisin, a special agent in the Illinois State Police’s violent crimes unit, joined Hills in the presentation.
    — Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of violent
Adjective
  • That was the last time Tamang saw Yangri, who was whisked away by ferocious flash floods that ripped through this part of the Himalayan nation earlier this week.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The run game of Agoura is ferocious and experienced, but Westlake’s QB play is better.
    — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of ferocious
Adjective
  • Casemiro and Messi, fierce rivals when Casemiro was at Real Madrid and Messi at Barcelona, celebrated together, a rare sight for longtime La Liga fans.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Pearce was celebrating five years of Opry membership and would return later to channel many aspects of Dolly, from her humor and fierce independence to her Appalachian roots.
    — Chris Parton, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of fierce
Adjective
  • Marrow Deep at times feels turbulent, ornate, measured, chaotic, and cathartic.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Matthews addressed The Bachelorette lead’s turbulent relationship with Mortensen, which encompasses a history of domestic violence.
    — McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of turbulent
Adjective
  • Kavanagh was furious and repeatedly made her concerns clear to her superiors at Sky.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Mother Love Bone had experienced the kind of instant success that made other local bands furious, signing a record deal after playing fewer than 10 shows.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of furious
Adjective
  • About 30,000 people have been forced to leave their homes around Sinabung in the past few years because of volcanic activity.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Its towering basalt cliffs formed as ancient volcanic rock cooled and fractured.
    — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of volcanic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

paroxysm
paroxysmal
paroxysms
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Cite this Entry

“Paroxysmal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paroxysmal. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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