apoplectic

English

WOTD – 12 June 2007

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] French apoplectique, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Late Latin apoplēcticus, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Ancient Greek ἀποπληκτικός (apoplēktikós), from ἀπόπληκτος (apóplēktos), from ἀποπλήσσω (apoplḗssō), from ἀπό (apó, “of, from”) + πλήσσω (plḗssō, “I strike”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌæpəˈplɛktɪk/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛktɪk

Adjective

apoplectic (comparative more apoplectic, superlative most apoplectic)

1. (medicine) Of, or relating to apoplexy.
2. Marked by extreme anger or fury.
   • 2011 March 13, Chris Bevan, “Stoke 2 - 1 West Ham”, in BBC‎^[1]:

     The decision left Potters boss Tony Pulis apoplectic on the touchline, a feeling his West Ham counterpart Avram Grant was to share immediately after the break.

3. (archaic) Effused with blood.

Quotations

• 1960 — Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, ch 11

  "Once she heard Jem refer to our father as 'Atticus' and her reaction was apoplectic."

• 2005 — (author?), The New Yorker, (page?) (12 Dec)

  "Speak of the devil—he marches through the door, and becomes apoplectic when he learns of the upheaval."

Related terms

• apoplexy

Translations

of or relating to apoplexy

• Catalan: apoplèctic
• German: apoplektisch (de)
• Interlingue:
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: apopléctico, apoplético (pt)
• Spanish: apopléjico, apoplético
• Swedish: apoplektisk (sv)

extremely angry and unable to speak

• Finnish: (of a person) raivoissaan (fi), raivostunut (fi), (of anger) silmitön (fi)
• Interlingue:
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: apopléctico, apoplético (pt)
• Swedish: apoplektisk (sv)

effused with blood

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Noun

apoplectic (plural apoplectics)

1. A person suffering from apoplexy.