convulsion

Compared meaning: a sudden attack of illness with shaking (noun).

比较义项：突发的疾病发作（惊厥、抽搐）（名词）。

• fit

  General, everyday word for a sudden attack of illness (often a seizure); very common in the set phrase 'epileptic fit'; can also describe attacks without violent shaking.

  日常、笼统的说法，指突发的疾病发作（通常是癫痫发作）；常见于固定搭配“epileptic fit”（癫痫发作）；有时也可指没有剧烈抽搐的发作。

  The child has an epileptic fit about once a month.

  这个孩子大约每隔一个月就会癫痫发作一次。

• convulsion 本词

  More clinical, specific word emphasizing violent, uncontrollable shaking of the muscles; often used for babies with fever (a febrile convulsion) or as the medical term for a seizure's physical symptoms.

  更专业、具体的说法，强调肌肉剧烈、无法控制的抽搐；常用于描述婴儿因发烧引起的“热性惊厥”，或作为癫痫发作中抽搐症状的医学术语。

  The baby's high fever triggered a violent convulsion.

  婴儿的高烧引发了一阵剧烈的惊厥。

Fit and convulsion both mean a sudden attack of illness, but fit is the everyday word (as in 'epileptic fit'), while convulsion is more clinical, stressing violent shaking of the muscles, often for a baby's fever. Other meanings (clothes fitting; social upheaval) are not compared.

这两个词都可以指身不由己、突然发生的疾病性发作，在“惊厥／抽搐”这一义项上意思相近，但语体和侧重点不同：fit 更口语、更笼统，convulsion 更强调剧烈的肌肉抽搐、语气也更专业。这里不比较 fit 的“（衣服等）合身”或“一阵情绪（如愤怒、大笑）”义，也不比较 convulsion 的“（社会、政治的）动乱、剧变”义。

Compared meaning: a state of confusion and disorder (noun).

比较义项：混乱、动荡不安（名词）。

• turmoil

  Describes an ongoing state of confusion and disorder rather than a specific change; commonly follows 'in', as in 'in turmoil', for political, social or emotional situations.

  描述一种持续的混乱、无序状态，而非某个具体的变化；常与in连用，构成in turmoil，用于政治、社会或情绪方面的情况。

  The country was in turmoil after the sudden election results.

  选举结果突如其来，这个国家陷入了混乱。

• upheaval

  Emphasizes a drastic, disruptive change that overturns the existing order, often at work, in society or in personal life; focuses on transformation, not just confusion.

  强调一种剧烈、具有破坏性的变化，会颠覆原有的秩序，常用于工作、社会或个人生活；侧重变革本身，而不仅仅是混乱。

  The sudden management upheaval completely changed how the department worked.

  公司管理层的突然动荡，彻底改变了这个部门的运作方式。

• convulsion 本词

  Suggests a sudden, violent and often brief eruption of disorder, stronger than turmoil or upheaval; typically used in the plural for large-scale political or social unrest.

  指一种突然、猛烈且往往短暂的动乱爆发，程度比turmoil和upheaval更强；通常用复数形式，描述大规模的政治或社会动荡。

  A series of violent convulsions shook the government after the coup.

  政变之后，一连串猛烈的动乱震撼了政府。

Turmoil, upheaval, and convulsion all describe disorder, but differ in intensity: turmoil is an ongoing state of confusion, as in 'in turmoil'. Upheaval is a drastic change that overturns the existing order. Convulsion is the strongest, a sudden, violent eruption, often used in the plural.

这三个词都表示混乱、动荡的状态，但侧重点和强度不同：turmoil强调持续的混乱状态本身；upheaval强调颠覆原有秩序的剧烈变化；convulsion语气最强，指突然而猛烈的动乱爆发，且常用复数convulsions。convulsion在医学语境中还有“痉挛、抽搐”的意思，这里不作比较。