1
: an involuntary and abnormal muscular contraction
2
: a sudden violent and temporary effort, emotion, or sensation
a spasm of creativity
spasms of pain
spasm intransitive verb

Examples of spasm in a Sentence

a disease that causes muscle spasms He was racked with coughing spasms. She was suffering spasms of guilt.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Hence, the spasms of anticipatory body language in the stands before the 25-year-old guard sank the dagger: This is just what this team does. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 June 2025 When Herod enters, the music lurches between saccharine waltz episodes and spasms of Expressionistic anarchy—a fracturing of the lingua franca. Alex Ross, New Yorker, 19 May 2025 In the five years since the global shutdown that heralded the Covid-19 pandemic, the retail industry has weathered a once-in-a-generation evolutionary spasm which, like the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs, has forced brands and companies to adapt or die. Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025 According to the neurologist, Dr. Alier Marrero, the patients suffered hallucinations, spasms, rapid memory loss and the sensation that bugs were crawling underneath their skin, but their symptoms and brain scans didn’t neatly fit an existing diagnosis. Aria Bendix, NBC news, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for spasm

Word History

Etymology

Middle English spasme, from Anglo-French espasme, from Latin spasmus, from Greek spasmos, from span to draw, pull

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of spasm was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spasm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spasm. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

spasm

noun
1
: a sudden uncontrolled contracting of muscles
back spasms
2
: a sudden violent and temporary effort, emotion, or outburst
a spasm of creativity
spasm verb

Medical Definition

spasm

noun
1
: an involuntary and abnormal contraction of muscle or muscle fibers or of a hollow organ (as an artery, the colon, or the esophagus) that consists largely of involuntary muscle fibers
2
: the state or condition of a muscle or organ affected with spasms
the renal artery went into spasm

More from Merriam-Webster on spasm

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