What does conniption mean?
A conniption is an informal American term for a sudden, dramatic outburst of anger, panic, or hysterical excitement. Someone having a conniption might shout, flail, rant, or otherwise lose their composure in an exaggerated way, and the word is often used with a touch of humor rather than as a serious clinical description. It most commonly appears in the phrases 'have a conniption' and 'throw a conniption,' and the variant 'conniption fit' reinforces the idea of an episode that flares up and eventually subsides. The word's origins are genuinely obscure: it emerged in the United States in the early nineteenth century, apparently as a fanciful coinage with no clear root in any other language, making it one of English's homegrown oddities. Because it carries a mildly comic connotation, it suits casual conversation, fiction, and commentary on overreactions — describing everything from a parent's fury at a broken vase to a fan base's meltdown after a loss. For writers seeking a vivid, colloquial alternative to 'tantrum' or 'hysterics,' conniption delivers color and character.
nounA fit of rage, hysteria, or frantic agitation; a sudden outburst of anger or panic.
- A fit of rage, hysterics, or frantic agitation; a temper tantrum.
"When the printer jammed for the third time, she had a conniption in the middle of the office."
"Dad had a conniption when he saw the dent in the new car."
"The committee threw a conniption over the proposed budget cuts."
Standard plural; used when referring to multiple outbursts or repeated episodes.
"The toddler had three conniptions before lunchtime."
"Conniption" is one of the great American inventions — nobody knows who coined it, but everyone knows exactly what it looks like when someone has one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of conniption
Conniption first appeared in the United States in the early 1800s, with no established ancestor in Latin, Greek, or any other language — it appears to be a purely American invention, possibly influenced by words like 'convulsion' or 'corruption' though no direct derivation is proven. Its earliest recorded uses already carried the sense of a fit of anger or hysterics, sometimes with dialect flavor. Because its origin is uncertain, it has no genuine cognates, and related forms are limited to the common phrase 'conniption fit.'
Related word forms
How conniption is actually used
Informal and chiefly American; often used humorously to describe an exaggerated display of anger or alarm. Frequently appears in the phrase 'conniption fit.'
Easily confused with conniption
A contraption is a strange mechanical device, while a conniption is an outburst of anger or panic — they merely sound somewhat alike.