Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of, relating to, or characterized by spasms.
  • adjective Affected by spastic paralysis.
  • adjective Offensive Slang Clumsy or inept.
  • noun A person affected with spastic paralysis.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In medicine, pertaining or relating to spasm; spasmodic: as, spastic contractions; spastic remedies.
  • In zoology, convulsive, as an infusorian; of or pertaining to the Spastica.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective (Med.) Of or pertaining to spasm; spasmodic; especially, pertaining to tonic spasm; tetanic.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective pathology Of, relating to, or affected by spasm.
  • adjective pathology Of or relating to spastic paralysis.
  • adjective slang, pejorative Clumsy.
  • adjective slang, pejorative Hyperactive, excited, and acting in a random manner.
  • noun A person affected by spastic paralysis or spastic cerebral palsy.
  • noun slang, offensive A stupid, clumsy person.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective affected by involuntary jerky muscular contractions; resembling a spasm
  • adjective relating to or characterized by spasm
  • noun a person suffering from spastic paralysis
  • adjective suffering from spastic paralysis

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin spasticus, from Greek spastikos, from spān, to pull.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin spasticus, from Ancient Greek σπαστικός (spastikos, "drawing in"). Confer French spastique and see also spasm.

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Examples

  • Yeah, spastic, is a word that they have been trying to phaze out is generally linked with people that have mental conditions.

    EXTRALIFE – By Scott Johnson - The Final Score #02: “No More Moore” 2007

  • The word spastic is used differently depending on location which has led to some controversy and misunderstanding.

    SYNCHRONIZED SPAZ ATTACK - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2009

  • His current project is to claim back the word spastic, "in the same way black people and gay and lesbian people have reclaimed negative language that was used about them".

    unknown title 2009

  • His current project is to claim back the word spastic, "in the same way black people and gay and lesbian people have reclaimed negative language that was used about them".

    unknown title 2009

  • His current project is to claim back the word spastic, "in the same way black people and gay and lesbian people have reclaimed negative language that was used about them".

    unknown title 2009

  • His current project is to claim back the word spastic, "in the same way black people and gay and lesbian people have reclaimed negative language that was used about them".

    unknown title 2009

  • In India the word spastic is used without negative connotations, with The Spastics Society of India being India’s most noted non-profit and a non-governmental organization NGO, working for Neuro-Muscular and Developmental Disabilities.

    SYNCHRONIZED SPAZ ATTACK - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2009

  • Why Robert Bresson didn't keep the pathetic Jerry Lewis wannabe from staggering around like a spastic is a mystery that may never be solved.

    Cut me a big slice of that ham acting. Ann Althouse 2008

  • And more than that, Miles, it does really offend those people who are disabled and who have cerebral palsy, because it refers to their very serious condition, and being spastic, which is a very serious form and a reaction to having the cerebral palsy.

    CNN Transcript Apr 13, 2006 2006

  • I said this already but was called a spastic (something the mod's didn't give a warning for).

    Cubed3.com News 2009

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