paralyze

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

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

Another patient made the opposite decision, releasing his paralyzing secret and telling his wife what had happened.

— lori gottlieb, The Cut, "What Your Therapist Really Thinks: ‘I Have a Secret That’s Torturing Me!’," 11 Aug. 2017
Serious injuries left McIlroy paralyzed from the chest down.

— susan jaffe, Kaiser Health News, "Counting On Medicaid To Avoid Life In A Nursing Home? That’s Now Up To Congress.," 31 July 2017
Wave after wave of intrusions have deleted data, destroyed computers, and in some cases paralyzed organizations’ most basic functions. ‘

— annabelle timsit, The Atlantic, "Fishermen's Brexit and the Next Moon Landing: The Week in Global-Affairs Writing," 28 July 2017
I was too paralyzed in a cloud of fear to even think about escaping.

— gina florio, Teen Vogue, "Why Some People Hide Sexual Assault After Abstinence-Only Education," 14 July 2017
Essentially, the patient is medically paralyzed to keep his body from shivering, sedated into a coma, and given pain medicine.

— théoden janes, charlotteobserver, "His heart stopped for more than 30 minutes. How can he still be alive?," 13 July 2017
But such leadership voids can be paralyzing for a small shop.

— jeffrey mervis, Science | AAAS, "Trump’s White House science office still small and waiting for leadership," 11 July 2017
Pippen's first attempt to model left her paralyzed with fear in a bathroom during an audition in Atlanta in 2005.

— jonece starr dunigan, AL.com, "From bullied teen to plus-sized fashion entrepreneur, Birmingham woman brings inclusion to the runway," 7 July 2017
While the surgery itself was a success, the stroke left Galasso partially paralyzed on her left side.

— maria cheng, The Seattle Times, "‘Pope’s hospital’ put children at risk as it chased profits," 3 July 2017

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

See Words from the same year

paralyze Synonyms

Synonyms

cripple, disable, hamstring, immobilize, incapacitate, prostrate

Antonyms

nerve

Related Words

attenuate, debilitate, enervate, enfeeble, sap, tire, undercut, undermine, weaken; hobble, lame; maim, mutilate; knock out

Near Antonyms

energize, galvanize, invigorate, vitalize; fortify, strengthen; empower; freshen, refresh, refreshen, regenerate, rejuvenate, restore, revitalize, revive

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

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paralyze

Definition of paralyze

paralyzation

paralyzer

paralyzingly

From the M-W Editors

Examples of paralyze in a Sentence

Recent Examples of paralyze from the Web

Origin and Etymology of paralyze

paralyze Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

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

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