paralyze

verb

par·​a·​lyze ˈper-ə-ˌlīz How to pronounce paralyze (audio)
ˈpa-rə-
paralyzed; paralyzing

transitive verb

1
: to affect with paralysis
The snake's venom paralyzed the mouse.
2
: to make powerless or ineffective
A strike would paralyze the industry.
3
: unnerve
the paralyzing thing is the uncertaintyEvelyn Whitehead
4
: stun, stupefy
I would paralyze the empire with the news!Rudyard Kipling
5
: to bring to an end : prevent, destroy
deadlock paralyzed actionF. A. Ogg & Harold Zink
paralyzation noun
paralyzer noun
paralyzingly adverb

Examples of paralyze in a Sentence

The snake's venom paralyzed the mouse. The air strikes have paralyzed the city's transportation system. The company was paralyzed by debt.
Recent Examples on the Web He is paralyzed from the waist down, wheelchair-bound and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Emma Woollacott, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 When a higher voltage is released, the prey is paralyzed. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024 The constant legal and political battles could paralyze government — creating uncertainty for businesses, investors, and foreign allies. Axios, 16 Oct. 2024 The standoff paralyzed most of the operations of the House for days. Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for paralyze 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paralyze.' 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

French paralyser, back-formation from paralysie paralysis, from Latin paralysis

First Known Use

1763, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of paralyze was in 1763

Dictionary Entries Near paralyze

Cite this Entry

“Paralyze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paralyze. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

paralyze

verb
par·​a·​lyze ˈpar-ə-ˌlīz How to pronounce paralyze (audio)
paralyzed; paralyzing
1
: to affect with paralysis
2
: to make powerless or unable to act, function, or move

Medical Definition

paralyze

transitive verb
par·​a·​lyze
variants or British paralyse
paralyzed or British paralysed; paralyzing or British paralysing
: to affect with paralysis
paralyzation noun
or British paralysation

More from Merriam-Webster on paralyze

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