spasm
C1Formal, Medical, Literary
Definition
Meaning
A sudden, involuntary, and often painful contraction of a muscle or group of muscles.
A sudden, brief period of intense activity, emotion, or occurrence; a convulsive or jerky movement or event.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a noun. Can refer to both physical muscular contractions and metaphorical 'bursts' of activity or emotion. Often implies a lack of control, brevity, and intensity.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning or usage. Both use 'spasm' identically for medical and figurative contexts.
Connotations
Slightly more common in UK English in informal figurative use (e.g., 'a spasm of laughter'). In US English, the medical sense may be slightly more prominent.
Frequency
Comparatively low-frequency in everyday conversation in both varieties, but standard in medical/technical and descriptive literary contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
experience a spasmsuffer from spasmsgo into spasmbe seized by a spasm of [emotion]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a spasm of conscience”
- “in spasms (intermittently)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly in metaphorical use: 'The market experienced a spasm of volatility.'
Academic
Common in medical, biological, and neurological texts describing muscular or physiological events.
Everyday
Used to describe sudden muscle cramps or, figuratively, brief bursts of emotion or action (e.g., 'a spasm of generosity').
Technical
Core term in medicine (neurology, physiotherapy) and physiology for involuntary muscular contractions.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- His leg spasmed violently during the marathon.
- The muscle spasmed, causing him to drop the glass.
American English
- Her back spasmed as she lifted the heavy box.
- The injured player's calf spasmed on the field.
adverb
British English
- The light flickered spasmodically throughout the storm.
- He worked spasmodically, in bursts of energy.
American English
- The engine ran spasmodically before dying.
- Funding arrived spasmodically, making planning difficult.
adjective
British English
- Spasmodic pain kept him awake all night.
- He made spasmodic attempts to learn the guitar.
American English
- The spasmodic coughing fit was concerning.
- Spasmodic growth characterized the early industry.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He had a spasm in his foot after running.
- A sudden spasm made her jump.
- The cold water caused a muscle spasm in my leg.
- She felt a spasm of fear when she heard the noise.
- Chronic back pain is often accompanied by painful spasms.
- The political announcement triggered a spasm of protests across the city.
- The patient's condition was marked by intermittent spasms of the diaphragm.
- His writing was not consistent but came in creative spasms followed by long periods of inactivity.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'SPASM' as 'SPAS' (like a jacuzzi with bubbling, jerky water) + 'M' for muscle. A sudden, jerky muscle bubble.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTION/ACTIVITY IS A PHYSICAL CONVULSION (e.g., 'a spasm of creativity', 'a spasm of violence').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'спазм' (medical spasm) when used figuratively. The Russian 'судорога' is a closer match for the physical sense but is more severe. The figurative use ('порыв', 'приступ') is less direct.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'spasm' to describe a prolonged state (it is brief/sudden). Confusing it with 'sprain' (a ligament injury). Incorrectly using it as a verb ('he spasmed' is informal; 'he went into spasm' or 'his muscle spasmed' is preferred).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'spasm' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While the primary meaning is muscular, it is commonly used figuratively for any sudden, brief, and intense burst (e.g., a spasm of anger, a spasm of economic activity).
A cramp is a specific type of spasm that is often more prolonged, painful, and causes a hard, knotted feeling in the muscle. All cramps are spasms, but not all spasms are severe enough to be called cramps.
Yes, but it is less common and considered informal or medical. The preferred phrasing is often 'go into spasm' or 'experience a spasm'. Example: 'The muscle spasmed.'
They are related but not perfect synonyms. A convulsion is a more severe, widespread, and often rhythmic series of muscle spasms, typically associated with conditions like epilepsy. A spasm can be a single, isolated event.
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