apoplex
apoplex Lexical Profile
apoplex Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A fit of extreme rage or sudden astonishment that leaves a person entirely speechless or incapacitated.
"When the king was presented with the ruinous treaty, he flew into an apoplex of sheer indignation."
An archaic or colloquial term for a stroke or sudden loss of neurological function and consciousness.
"The old physician noted in his journal that the mayor had succumbed to a sudden apoplex."
• verb
To strike with sudden paralysis, extreme astonishment, or intense anger.
"The sheer audacity of the fraudulent scheme entirely apoplexed the normally stoic board of directors."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Apoplex" is a rare, archaic variant of "apoplexy"; in modern contexts, it is almost exclusively encountered as a colloquial verb (especially in the past participle "apoplexed") meaning to be struck with extreme rage or astonishment.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Late Latin "apoplexia", originating from the Greek "apoplēxia" (a striking away), which is formed from "apo-" (away from) and "plēssein" (to strike).