Spasm
noun
A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle or group of muscles.
While exercising, he experienced a painful spasm in his calf muscle.
Often appears as...
- muscle spasm
- spasmodic contraction
noun
A sudden, brief spell of great energy, effort or emotional outburst.
The toddler burst into a spasm of laughter.
Often appears as...
- spasm of laughter
- spasm of anger
noun
A sudden and brief outburst of particular activity.
The country was hit by a spasm of aggressive nationalism.
Often appears as...
- spasm of violence
- spasm of nationalism
noun
A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle or group of muscles.
While exercising, he experienced a painful spasm in his calf muscle.
Often appears as...
- muscle spasm
- spasmodic contraction
noun
A sudden, brief spell of great energy, effort or emotional outburst.
The toddler burst into a spasm of laughter.
Often appears as...
- spasm of laughter
- spasm of anger
noun
A sudden and brief outburst of particular activity.
The country was hit by a spasm of aggressive nationalism.
Often appears as...
- spasm of violence
- spasm of nationalism
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Involuntary Movement
Indicates an uncontrollable muscle action, not done on purpose.
She felt a sudden spasm in her eyelid while trying to concentrate.
Pro Tip 2/3Often Painful
Muscle spasms are usually uncomfortable or painful, causing visible or subtle movements.
After the long run, he was troubled by a spasm in his thigh.
Pro Tip 3/3Medical Context
Usually used in medical or health-related discussions to describe symptoms.
The patient reported back spasms after lifting heavy objects.
Pro Tip 1/3Involuntary Movement
Indicates an uncontrollable muscle action, not done on purpose.
She felt a sudden spasm in her eyelid while trying to concentrate.
Pro Tip 2/3Often Painful
Muscle spasms are usually uncomfortable or painful, causing visible or subtle movements.
After the long run, he was troubled by a spasm in his thigh.
Pro Tip 3/3Medical Context
Usually used in medical or health-related discussions to describe symptoms.
The patient reported back spasms after lifting heavy objects.
Pro Tip 1/3Involuntary Movement
Indicates an uncontrollable muscle action, not done on purpose.
She felt a sudden spasm in her eyelid while trying to concentrate.
Pro Tip 2/3Often Painful
Muscle spasms are usually uncomfortable or painful, causing visible or subtle movements.
After the long run, he was troubled by a spasm in his thigh.
Pro Tip 3/3Medical Context
Usually used in medical or health-related discussions to describe symptoms.
The patient reported back spasms after lifting heavy objects.
Compare with
convulsioncrampfitjerkparoxysmseizurethroestwitch
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Video examples
Why we laugh PIPE Sophie...
and that's just squeezing the air out of you. It literally is that basic a way of making a sound. You could be stamping on somebody, it's having the same effect. You're just squeezing air out, and each of those contractions -- Ha! -- gives you a sound. And as the contractions run together, you can get these spasms,
Video examples
Joel Sartore: Capturing...
species to go until I get the entire inventory of what's in the world zoos I'm especially concerned about frogs they're dying at unprecedented rates we are on the edge of a vast extinction spasm they're fascinating amazing and they really teach us that we should care
Video examples
How do fish make...
These stimulate the prey's muscles, sending it into spasms and generating waves that reveal its hiding place. Then, a volley of fast, high-voltage discharges causes even more intense muscle contractions. The electric eel can also curl up so that the electric fields
Video examples
3 clues to understanding...
How do you unlearn the learned paralysis, so you can relieve him of this excruciating, clenching spasm of the phantom arm? Well, we said, what if you now send the command to the phantom, but give him visual feedback that it's obeying his command, right?
Video examples
Sir Martin Rees: Earth...
occupying overall less than a millionth of the elapsed lifetime and seemingly occurring with runaway speed? If they continued their vigil, what might these hypothetical aliens witness in the next hundred years? Will some spasm foreclose Earth's future?
Video examples
The strange story of the...
And so what I'm saying is, the teddy bear was born into the middle of this great spasm of extermination, and you can see it as a sign that maybe some people deep down were starting to feel conflicted about all that killing.
Video examples
A love letter to realism...
And it's not just the lack of feeling and movement. Paralysis also interferes with the body's internal systems, which are designed to keep us alive. Multiple infections, nerve pain, spasms, shortened life spans are common.
Video examples
Why do we hiccup? - John...
and excitement. Let's look at what happens when we hiccup. It begins with an involuntary spasm or sudden contraction of the diaphragm, the large dome-shaped muscle below our lungs that we use to inhale air.
Video examples
Re-envision what it...
torn quad I was having spasms in my back and this was the end of my running career I was devastated this was the destruction of my dream I mean I had to draw a picture of what I was going to do with my life
Video examples
4 simple ways to have a...
them from to stop muscle spasms and the patient asked why didn't you inject my forehead Jean said you don't have spasms there the patient said I know but every time you inject my forehead I get this
Video examples
Why we laugh PIPE Sophie...
and that's just squeezing the air out of you. It literally is that basic a way of making a sound. You could be stamping on somebody, it's having the same effect. You're just squeezing air out, and each of those contractions -- Ha! -- gives you a sound. And as the contractions run together, you can get these spasms,
Video examples
Joel Sartore: Capturing...
species to go until I get the entire inventory of what's in the world zoos I'm especially concerned about frogs they're dying at unprecedented rates we are on the edge of a vast extinction spasm they're fascinating amazing and they really teach us that we should care
Video examples
How do fish make...
These stimulate the prey's muscles, sending it into spasms and generating waves that reveal its hiding place. Then, a volley of fast, high-voltage discharges causes even more intense muscle contractions. The electric eel can also curl up so that the electric fields
Video examples
3 clues to understanding...
How do you unlearn the learned paralysis, so you can relieve him of this excruciating, clenching spasm of the phantom arm? Well, we said, what if you now send the command to the phantom, but give him visual feedback that it's obeying his command, right?
Video examples
Sir Martin Rees: Earth...
occupying overall less than a millionth of the elapsed lifetime and seemingly occurring with runaway speed? If they continued their vigil, what might these hypothetical aliens witness in the next hundred years? Will some spasm foreclose Earth's future?
Video examples
The strange story of the...
And so what I'm saying is, the teddy bear was born into the middle of this great spasm of extermination, and you can see it as a sign that maybe some people deep down were starting to feel conflicted about all that killing.
Video examples
A love letter to realism...
And it's not just the lack of feeling and movement. Paralysis also interferes with the body's internal systems, which are designed to keep us alive. Multiple infections, nerve pain, spasms, shortened life spans are common.
Video examples
Why do we hiccup? - John...
and excitement. Let's look at what happens when we hiccup. It begins with an involuntary spasm or sudden contraction of the diaphragm, the large dome-shaped muscle below our lungs that we use to inhale air.
Video examples
Re-envision what it...
torn quad I was having spasms in my back and this was the end of my running career I was devastated this was the destruction of my dream I mean I had to draw a picture of what I was going to do with my life
Video examples
4 simple ways to have a...
them from to stop muscle spasms and the patient asked why didn't you inject my forehead Jean said you don't have spasms there the patient said I know but every time you inject my forehead I get this
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Mehmet Oz
Turkish Entertainer
What happens when you have great grief in your life is the arteries of that heart begins to spasms down, just literally squeezes down like this because you're feeling the tension of your life and then the heart muscle itself will also begin - to get stressed out.
Quote examples
Nicholas Soames
British Politician
I am worried about the Tory party because give or take the odd spasm we have always been seen as pragmatic, sensible, good at our job, sane, reasonable and having the interests of the whole country. Now it is beginning to look like a Brexit sect.
Quote examples
Henry Rollins
American Musician
Rush Limbaugh makes money getting simpleminded people to feel good about their intellectually undernourished brain spasms. He's very good at it, and I scarcely believe a fraction of what he says.
Quote examples
Madeline Kahn
American Actress
Laughter is a strange response. I mean, what is it? It's a spasm of some kind! Is that always joy? It's very often discomfort. It's some sort of explosive reaction. It's very complex.
Quote examples
Brian O'Driscoll
Irish Athlete
It's happened a couple of times in training when I hyper-extend my back. Some facet joints send all the muscles in my lower back and lumbar-spine into spasm.
Quote examples
Dick York
American Actor
I went to a Gestalt therapist and said that I want to be able to at least tell my muscles that aren't involved that they don't have to go into spasms too.
Quote examples
Kadeena Cox
British Athlete
I have MS and am heat intolerant so it is tricky. It is affecting my spasms and affects my speech - which is annoying because I like talking.
Quote examples
George Steiner
American Critic
The immense majority of human biographies are a gray transit between domestic spasm and oblivion.
Quote examples
Teresa Medeiros
American Novelist
There are two words that send romance authors into spasms of rapture: 'Downton Abbey.
Quote examples
Zach Anner
American Comedian
When I get real excited, my muscles go into spasm, so they just shake.
Quote examples
Mehmet Oz
Turkish Entertainer
What happens when you have great grief in your life is the arteries of that heart begins to spasms down, just literally squeezes down like this because you're feeling the tension of your life and then the heart muscle itself will also begin - to get stressed out.
Quote examples
Nicholas Soames
British Politician
I am worried about the Tory party because give or take the odd spasm we have always been seen as pragmatic, sensible, good at our job, sane, reasonable and having the interests of the whole country. Now it is beginning to look like a Brexit sect.
Quote examples
Henry Rollins
American Musician
Rush Limbaugh makes money getting simpleminded people to feel good about their intellectually undernourished brain spasms. He's very good at it, and I scarcely believe a fraction of what he says.
Quote examples
Madeline Kahn
American Actress
Laughter is a strange response. I mean, what is it? It's a spasm of some kind! Is that always joy? It's very often discomfort. It's some sort of explosive reaction. It's very complex.
Quote examples
Brian O'Driscoll
Irish Athlete
It's happened a couple of times in training when I hyper-extend my back. Some facet joints send all the muscles in my lower back and lumbar-spine into spasm.
Quote examples
Dick York
American Actor
I went to a Gestalt therapist and said that I want to be able to at least tell my muscles that aren't involved that they don't have to go into spasms too.
Quote examples
Kadeena Cox
British Athlete
I have MS and am heat intolerant so it is tricky. It is affecting my spasms and affects my speech - which is annoying because I like talking.
Quote examples
George Steiner
American Critic
The immense majority of human biographies are a gray transit between domestic spasm and oblivion.
Quote examples
Teresa Medeiros
American Novelist
There are two words that send romance authors into spasms of rapture: 'Downton Abbey.
Quote examples
Zach Anner
American Comedian
When I get real excited, my muscles go into spasm, so they just shake.
Example 1 of 10
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