Cataplexis
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A rhetorical device in which a threat of retribution (especially of divine punishment) is made in response to wrongdoing. rhetoric, uncountable
"In III.v's [sc. Ben Jonson's Epicoene] final sixty lines, Morose and Truewit wish calamity on Cutbeard: 'May he get the itch, and his shop so lousy as no man dare come at him' (III.v.70-71). They focus half of their cataplexis on Cutbeard's body, which they hope will develop blotches and gout, and the other half on the objects of his trade."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"In III.v's [sc. Ben Jonson's Epicoene] final sixty lines, Morose and Truewit wish calamity on Cutbeard: 'May he get the itch, and his shop so lousy as no man dare come at him' (III.v.70-71). They focus half of their cataplexis on Cutbeard's body, which they hope will develop blotches and gout, and the other half on the objects of his trade."
Etymology
From Ancient Greek κατάπληξις (katáplēxis, “amazement, consternation”), from καταπλήσσω (kataplḗssō, “to amaze, astound”).
More for "cataplexis"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.