# cataplexis

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A rhetorical device in which a threat of retribution (especially of divine punishment) is made in response to wrongdoing.

## Etymology
From Ancient Greek κατάπληξις (katáplēxis, “amazement, consternation”), from καταπλήσσω (kataplḗssō, “to amaze, astound”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cataplexis