A paroxysm is a sudden, violent outburst or attack of something, like emotion, pain, coughing, or laughter. The word suggests an intensity that feels almost out of control, like when you laugh so hard you can barely breathe, or when a coughing fit takes over your whole body.

In medical contexts, doctors might describe a paroxysm of coughing in someone with whooping cough: sudden, severe coughing that comes in waves. But the word applies to emotions too. Someone might experience a paroxysm of rage so intense they can barely speak, or a paroxysm of grief that leaves them sobbing uncontrollably.

What makes something a paroxysm rather than just an ordinary burst of feeling? The intensity and the sense that it's seized control. When you get the giggles during a serious moment and can't stop, that's closer to a paroxysm than just finding something funny. When pain strikes in sharp, overwhelming waves, that's paroxysmal.

The word often appears in descriptions of intense historical moments or dramatic scenes in literature. A crowd might erupt in paroxysms of applause. A volcano might explode in paroxysms of activity. The word captures those moments when force or feeling surges beyond normal bounds.