paralyze

verb par·a·lyze \ ˈper-ə-ˌlīz , ˈpa-rə- \

|Updated on: 11 Jul 2018

Examples: paralyze in a Sentence

Definition of paralyze

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 parlyzing thing is the uncertainty
—Evelyn Whitehead

4 : stun, stupefy

She sat paralyzed when she heard the news.

5 : to bring to an end : prevent, destroy

deadlock paralyzed action
—F. A. Ogg & Harold Zink

—

paralyzation

play \ˌper-ə-lə-ˈzā-shən, ˌpa-rə-\ noun

—

paralyzer

play \ˈper-ə-ˌlī-zər, ˈpa-rə-\ noun

—

paralyzingly

play \ˈper-ə-ˌlī-ziŋ-lē, ˈpa-rə\ adverb

See paralyze defined for English-language learners

See paralyze defined for kids

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 of paralyze from the Web

Because of their disorder, the subjects seem paralyzed by a fascination with and abhorrence of their sheer physicality.

— peter keough, BostonGlobe.com, "An unflinching look at ‘The Pain of Others’," 28 June 2018
Faced with an overwhelming array of options on retail shelves, many people feel paralyzed by the sheer number of options.

— marnie old, Philly.com, "Great Wine Values: Charles Smith 'Boom Boom' Syrah," 28 June 2018
In an effort to combat violence, the police conduct regular sweeps in neighborhoods paralyzed by gang activity.

— omar villafranca, CBS News, "Treacherous journey to U.S. a last resort for some fleeing violence in El Salvador," 20 June 2018
Will Congressional Rs continue to stand by, paralyzed by fears of their base?

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Trump is Trump but the GOP is the real threat to American global leadership.," 10 June 2018
The film also has Brady pay several intensely moving visits to his friend Lane Scott, a former bull rider left paralyzed by an accident and much more debilitated than Brady himself.

— walter addiego, Houston Chronicle, "Film review: ‘Rider’ an elegiac portrait of a cowboy," 26 Apr. 2018
Stories of the Second World War console us with memories of the days before Vietnam, Cambodia, and Iraq, when the United States was the world’s good-hearted superpower, riding to the rescue of a Europe paralyzed by totalitarianism and appeasement.

— naomi fry, The New Yorker, "How American Racism Influenced Hitler," 23 Apr. 2018
Stephen Hawking was a scientist whose brilliant mind ranged across time and space though his body was paralyzed by disease.

— kansascity, "Final Chapters for March 17, 2018: Stephen Hawking, Hubert de Givenchy, Tom Benson | The Kansas City Star," 17 Mar. 2018
It was started by Jim and Sarah Brady after Jim was shot and partially paralyzed by a shooter attempting to assassinate President Ronald Reagan.

— jerry large, The Seattle Times, "Arguments over guns waste time and lives, when action is needed now," 25 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'paralyze.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of paralyze

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1763

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

paralyze Synonyms

PARALYZE Defined for English Language Learners

paralyze

verb

Definition of paralyze for English Language Learners

: to make (a person or animal) unable to move or feel all or part of the body
: to make (someone or something) unable to function, act, or move

PARALYZE Defined for Kids

paralyze

verb par·a·lyze \ ˈper-ə-ˌlīz \

Definition of paralyze for Students

paralyzed; paralyzing

1 : to cause to be unable to move all or part of the body The snake's venom paralyzed the mouse.

2 : to destroy or decrease something's energy or ability to act

The city was paralyzed by a heavy snowstorm.

Medical Dictionary

paralyze

transitive verb par·a·lyze

variants: or British paralyse play \ˈpar-ə-ˌlīz\

medical Definition of paralyze

paralyzed or British paralysed; paralyzing or British paralysing

: to affect with paralysis

—

paralyzation

or British paralysation play \ˌpar-ə-lə-ˈzā-shən\ noun

Learn More about paralyze

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for paralyze Spanish Central: Translation of paralyze Nglish: Translation of paralyze for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of paralyze for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up paralyze? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

paralyze

Definition of paralyze

paralyzation

paralyzer

paralyzingly

Examples of paralyze in a Sentence

Recent Examples of paralyze from the Web

Origin and Etymology of paralyze

paralyze Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

PARALYZE Defined for English Language Learners

paralyze

Definition of paralyze for English Language Learners

PARALYZE Defined for Kids

paralyze

Definition of paralyze for Students

Medical Dictionary

paralyze

medical Definition of paralyze

paralyzation

Learn More about paralyze

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Words We're Watching: 'Laze'

5 Words for Clumsy People

Test Your Emoji Exceptionalism

Trending: Ocasio-Cortez Sparks 'Socialism' Lookups

Ghost Word