apoplectic
adjective
ap·o·plec·tic
ˌa-pə-ˈplek-tik 
1
2
a
: of a kind to cause or apparently cause stroke
an apoplectic rage
b
: extremely enraged
was apoplectic over the news
Synonyms
- angered
- angry
- ballistic
- cheesed off [chiefly British]
- choleric
- enraged
- foaming
- fuming
- furious
- hopping
- horn-mad
- hot
- incensed
- indignant
- inflamed
- enflamed
- infuriate
- infuriated
- irate
- ireful
- livid
- mad
- outraged
- rabid
- rankled
- riled
- riley
- roiled
- shirty [chiefly British]
- sore
- steamed up
- steaming
- teed off
- ticked
- wrathful
- wroth
Examples of apoplectic in a Sentence
Giuliani was apoplectic when the gangster fought off murder and racketeering charges and sauntered out of court in March 1987 after a sensational acquittal to bask in the TV lights.
—
Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, June 2000
The quarrel was splendidly acrimonious. When Charles Perrault, now remembered for his fairy tales, rose in the French Academy in 1687 to champion modern authors, Nicolas Boileau, the arbiter of taste, waxed so apoplectic he lost his voice.
—David Coward, New York Times Book Review, 27 Apr. 1997
Don Hewitt, the program's venerable executive producer, becomes positively apoplectic when I mention the subject during a conversation about Amanpour's job negotiations. The three networks had offered her the opportunity to contribute to their evening news shows as well as to their newsmagazines.
—Leslie Bennetts, Vanity Fair, September 1996
She was positively apoplectic with anger when she realized she had been cheated.
the coach was so apoplectic when the player missed the free throw that he threw his clipboard onto the court
Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, June 2000
The quarrel was splendidly acrimonious. When Charles Perrault, now remembered for his fairy tales, rose in the French Academy in 1687 to champion modern authors, Nicolas Boileau, the arbiter of taste, waxed so apoplectic he lost his voice.
—David Coward, New York Times Book Review, 27 Apr. 1997
Don Hewitt, the program's venerable executive producer, becomes positively apoplectic when I mention the subject during a conversation about Amanpour's job negotiations. The three networks had offered her the opportunity to contribute to their evening news shows as well as to their newsmagazines.
—Leslie Bennetts, Vanity Fair, September 1996
She was positively apoplectic with anger when she realized she had been cheated.
the coach was so apoplectic when the player missed the free throw that he threw his clipboard onto the court
Recent Examples on the Web
In response, the real-estate industry has gone a little apoplectic.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 12 June 2024
Over the past year or so, a series of high-profile FTC enforcement actions have left critics of tech’s biggest privacy offenders—Google, Facebook, Equifax—somewhere between frustrated and apoplectic.
—Brian Barrett, WIRED, 4 Sep. 2019
When federal officials released the solar plan in August, reactions ranged from optimistic to apoplectic.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024
The Biden White House has been apoplectic about it.
—Axios, 11 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for apoplectic 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Clio Chang, Curbed, 12 June 2024
Over the past year or so, a series of high-profile FTC enforcement actions have left critics of tech’s biggest privacy offenders—Google, Facebook, Equifax—somewhere between frustrated and apoplectic.
—Brian Barrett, WIRED, 4 Sep. 2019
When federal officials released the solar plan in August, reactions ranged from optimistic to apoplectic.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024
The Biden White House has been apoplectic about it.
—Axios, 11 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for apoplectic
Articles Related to apoplectic
Dictionary Entries Near apoplectic
Cite this Entry
“Apoplectic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apoplectic. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
apoplectic
adjective
ap·o·plec·tic
ˌap-ə-ˈplek-tik
1
: of, relating to, or causing stroke
2
: affected with or inclined to stroke
3
: seeming likely to cause stroke
an apoplectic rage
also
: very angry
was apoplectic over the news
Medical Definition
apoplectic
adjective
ap·o·plec·tic
ˌap-ə-ˈplek-tik
1
: of, relating to, or causing stroke
2
: affected with, inclined to, or showing symptoms of stroke
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