paralytic

1 of 2

adjective

par·​a·​lyt·​ic ˌper-ə-ˈli-tik How to pronounce paralytic (audio)
ˌpa-rə-
1
: affected with, characterized by, or causing paralysis
2
: of, relating to, or resembling paralysis
paralytically adverb

paralytic

2 of 2

noun

: one affected with paralysis

Examples of paralytic in a Sentence

Adjective a group of paralytic drunks at first, he would not accept that he was now paralytic and needed help
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The goal was to eradicate all three viruses that triggered the paralytic disease — types 1, 2, and 3 — by the dawn of the 21st century. Helen Branswell, STAT, 26 May 2023 The original three-drug protocol was developed by an Oklahoma state medical examiner and included the anesthetic sodium thiopental, a paralytic drug called pancuronium bromide, and potassium chloride, which is supposed to stop the heart within minutes. Dana G. Smith, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2022 The poliovirus found in a sample collected there in August was genetically linked to the paralytic case. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 9 Sep. 2022 The order increases additional resources to help boost immunization efforts against the paralytic disease, the officials said. Brianna Abbott, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022 Just one case has been confirmed — an unvaccinated man in his 20s who was diagnosed with paralytic polio in Rockland County in July. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 9 Sep. 2022 The testing is part of an effort by state and federal health leaders to look for the spread of poliovirus in areas of the U.S. with low vaccination rates and connections to New York communities where a paralytic polio case was identified in July 2022. Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 12 July 2023 Only three cases of paralytic polio caused by wild-type polio have been reported so far in 2023, from Afghanistan and Pakistan, the only two countries that have never managed to extinguish transmission of wild polio. Helen Branswell, STAT, 26 May 2023 Adam Schindler and Brian Netto, who recently helmed episodes of Raimi’s horror anthology series 50 States of Fright, are set to direct Don’t Move, which follows a seasoned killer who injects a grieving woman with a paralytic agent. Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 May 2023
Noun
If nitrogen hypoxia is proven to be safe, effective and easy to administer, the availability of nitrogen reduces the strain of locating and obtaining the sedatives and paralytics for our current protocol. Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 26 Jan. 2024 Oklahoma's protocol also continues to use a paralytic, an unnecessary and dangerous aspect of the process that serves only to mask problems from public view. Sophie Reardon, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2021 According to the filing obtained by CNN, the state would execute Floyd using a three-drug cocktail that includes midazolam, a drug used to induce drowsiness and reduce anxiety; fentanyl, an opioid rarely used in lethal injections; and cisatracurium, a paralytic. Scottie Andrew, CNN, 23 Apr. 2021 And while there is less visible blood, Mangino noted that one drug in the common three-drug cocktail is a paralytic meant to keep the condemned still for witnesses' comfort, not to ease the pain of death. Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 23 Mar. 2023 The three drugs are: midazolam, a sedative, vecuronium bromide, a paralytic, and potassium chloride, which stops the heart. BostonGlobe.com, 28 Oct. 2021 The state's lethal injection protocol uses a combination of the drugs midazolam as a sedative, vecuronium bromide as a paralytic, and potassium chloride to stop the heart. Andy Rose and Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 10 June 2022 Experts now believe that the paralytic used in the original three-drug protocol masked the torture inmates were experiencing. Dana G. Smith, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paralytic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English paralytyk, from Anglo-French paralitik, from Latin paralyticus, from Greek paralytikos, from paralyein

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paralytic was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near paralytic

Cite this Entry

“Paralytic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paralytic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

paralytic

1 of 2 adjective
par·​a·​lyt·​ic ˌpar-ə-ˈlit-ik How to pronounce paralytic (audio)
1
: affected with, marked by, or causing paralysis
2
: of, relating to, or resembling paralysis

paralytic

2 of 2 noun
: one affected with paralysis

Medical Definition

paralytic

1 of 2 adjective
par·​a·​lyt·​ic ˌpar-ə-ˈlit-ik How to pronounce paralytic (audio)
1
: affected with or characterized by paralysis
2
: of, relating to, causing, or resembling paralysis

paralytic

2 of 2 noun
: one affected with paralysis
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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